Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2008) - West Bank (2008)

Compare Sao Tome and Principe (2008) z West Bank (2008)

	Sao Tome and Principe (2008)	West Bank (2008)

Administrative divisions	2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self government since 29 April 1995	-
Age structure	0-14 years: 47.3% (male 47,796/female 46,589) 15-64 years: 49% (male 47,386/female 50,412) 65 years and over: 3.7% (male 3,383/female 4,013) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish	olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products
Airports	2 (2007)	3 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: 1,001 sq km land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 5,860 sq km land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967
Area - comparative	more than five times the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than Delaware
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. While independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. The country held its first free elections in 1991, but frequent internal wrangling between the various political parties precipitated repeated changes in leadership and two failed coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea promises to attract increased attention to the small island nation.	The September 1993 Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements provided for a transitional period of Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under a series of agreements signed between May 1994 and September 1999, Israel transferred to the Palestinian Authority (PA) security and civilian responsibility for Palestinian-populated areas of the West Bank and Gaza. Negotiations to determine the permanent status of the West Bank and Gaza stalled following the outbreak of an intifada in September 2000, as Israeli forces reoccupied most Palestinian-controlled areas. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement was postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides had not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel unilaterally withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and withdrew settlers and redeployed soldiers from four small northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it did not recognize Israel, would not renounce violence, and refused to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. HAMAS took control of the PA government in March 2006, but President ABBAS had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift economic sanctions on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene throughout most of 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. Violent clashes took place between Fatah and HAMAS supporters in the Gaza Strip in 2006 and early 2007, resulting in numerous Palestinian deaths and injuries. ABBAS and HAMAS Political Bureau Chief MISHAL in February 2007 signed the Mecca Agreement in Saudi Arabia that resulted in the formation of a Palestinian National Unity Government (NUG) headed by HAMAS member Ismail HANIYA. However, fighting continued in the Gaza Strip, and in June, HAMAS militants succeeded in a violent takeover of all military and governmental institutions in the Gaza Strip. ABBAS dismissed the NUG and through a series of presidential decrees formed a PA government in the West Bank led by independent Salam FAYYAD. HAMAS rejected the NUG's dismissal and has called for resuming talks with Fatah, but ABBAS has ruled out negotiations until HAMAS agrees to a return of PA control over the Gaza Strip and recognizes the FAYYAD-led government. FAYYAD and his PA government initiated a series of security and economic reforms to improve conditions in the West Bank. ABBAS participated in talks with Israel's Prime Minister OLMERT and secured the release of some Palestinian prisoners and previously withheld customs revenue. During a November 2007 international meeting in Annapolis Maryland, ABBAS and OLMERT agreed to resume peace negotiations with the goal of reaching a final peace settlement by the end of 2008.
Birth rate	39.72 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $74.11 million expenditures: $57.71 million (2007 est.)	revenues: $1.149 billion expenditures: $2.31 billion note: includes Gaza Strip (2006)
Capital	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, humid; one rainy season (October to May)	temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters
Coastline	209 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990	-
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: West Bank
Death rate	6.28 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$318 million (2002)	$NA
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	-
Diplomatic representation in the US	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	none	West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
Economic aid - recipient	$31.9 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program (2005)	$1.4 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 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. 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, which helped 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 exceeded 6% in 2007, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment.	The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifada began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of closures and access restrictions in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA when HAMAS ran the PA during March 2006 - June 2007 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. Since June the Fayyad government in the West Bank has restarted salary payments and the provision of services but would be unable to operate absent high levels of international assistance.
Electricity - consumption	16.74 million kWh (2005)	NA kWh
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	NA kWh
Electricity - production	18 million kWh (2005)	NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m	lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m
Environment - current issues	deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion	adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands 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)	Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%
Exchange rates	dobras per US dollar - 13,700 (2007), 12,050 (2006), 9,900.4 (2005), 9,902.3 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003)	new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.14 (2007), 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Patrice TROVOADA (since 14 February 2008) 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	0 bbl/day (2004)	$301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Exports - commodities	cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil	olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone
Exports - partners	Netherlands 47.9%, Belgium 19%, Portugal 9.3% (2006)	Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
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	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 14.8% industry: 14.2% services: 71% (2007 est.)	agriculture: 8% industry: 13% services: 79% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	6.5% (2007 est.)	-8% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	1 00 N, 7 00 E	32 00 N, 35 15 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; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	634.4 bbl/day (2004)	$2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Imports - commodities	machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products	food, consumer goods, construction materials
Imports - partners	Portugal 48.8%, France 19.7%, Belgium 5.1%, US 5.1% (2006)	Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006)
Independence	12 July 1975 (from Portugal)	-
Industrial production growth rate	8.5% (2007 est.)	2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Industries	light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber	generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers
Infant mortality rate	total: 40.54 deaths/1,000 live births male: 42.42 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38.61 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	17% (2007 est.)	3.6% (includes Gaza Strip) (2006)
International organization participation	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, ITUC, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)	-
Irrigated land	100 sq km (2003)	150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)	-
Labor force	35,050 (1991)	605,000 (2006)
Labor force - by occupation	note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers	agriculture: 18% industry: 15% services: 67% (2006)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 404 km border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km
Land use	arable land: 8.33% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005)	arable land: 16.9% permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001)
Languages	Portuguese (official)	Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood)
Legal system	based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	-
Legislative branch	unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held on 26 March 2006 (next to be held in March 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, others 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1	-
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 67.64 years male: 66.03 years female: 69.3 years (2007 est.)	total population: 73.46 years male: 71.68 years female: 75.35 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 84.9% male: 92.2% female: 77.9% (2001 census)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.)
Location	Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon	Middle East, west of Jordan
Map references	Africa	Middle East
Maritime claims	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	total: 7 ships (1000 GRT or over) 20,455 GRT/27,871 DWT by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 6 foreign-owned: 2 (Egypt 1, Greece 1) (2007)	-
Military - note	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, working conditions, and alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers have been problems in the past, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance aimed at improving 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	Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard of Sao Tome e Principe (Guarda Costeira de Sao Tome e Principe, GCSTP), Presidential Guard (2007)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	0.8% (2006)	NA
National holiday	Independence Day, 12 July (1975)	-
Nationality	noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean	noun: NA adjective: NA
Natural hazards	NA	droughts
Natural resources	fish, hydropower	arable land
Net migration rate	-2.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)	2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM [Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [[Patrice TROVOADA]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Rafael BRANCO]; New Way Movement or NR; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Delfim NEVES]; Ue-Kedadji coalition; other small parties	-
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	-
Population	199,579 (July 2007 est.)	2,535,927 note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	54% (2004 est.)	46% (2007 est.)
Population growth rate	3.13% (2007 est.)	2.985% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)	AM 0, FM 25, shortwave 0 (2008)
Religions	Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)	Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.026 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.843 male(s)/female total population: 0.976 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 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: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004)
Telephones - main lines in use	7,100 (2005)	349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	12,000 (2005)	1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2001)	30 (2008)
Terrain	volcanic, mountainous	mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east
Total fertility rate	5.53 children born/woman (2007 est.)	4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA%	18.6% (2006)

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