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Compare Solomon Islands (2002) - Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001)

Compare Solomon Islands (2002) z Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001)

 Solomon Islands (2002)Congo, Democratic Republic of the (2001)
 Solomon IslandsCongo, Democratic Republic of the
Administrative divisions 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul (Lauru), Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell/Bellona, Temotu, Western 10 provinces (provinces, singular - province) and one city* (ville); Bandundu, Bas-Congo, Equateur, Kasai-Occidental, Kasai-Oriental, Katanga, Kinshasa*, Maniema, Nord-Kivu, Orientale, Sud-Kivu
Age structure 0-14 years: 43.4% (male 109,339; female 105,170)


15-64 years: 53.5% (male 134,125; female 130,804)


65 years and over: 3.1% (male 7,467; female 7,881) (2002 est.)
0-14 years:
48.24% (male 12,988,488; female 12,878,232)

15-64 years:
49.21% (male 12,931,886; female 13,459,109)

65 years and over:
2.55% (male 575,113; female 791,890) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber, tea, quinine, cassava (tapioca), palm oil, bananas, root crops, corn, fruits; wood products
Airports 31 (2001) 232 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
total:
24

over 3,047 m:
4

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
15

914 to 1,523 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 30


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 20 (2002)
total:
208

1,524 to 2,437 m:
20

914 to 1,523 m:
96

under 914 m:
92 (2000 est.)
Area total: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
total:
2,345,410 sq km

land:
2,267,600 sq km

water:
77,810 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Background The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the most bitter 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. Since 1994 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. The government of former president MOBUTU Sese Seko was toppled by a rebellion led by Laurent KABILA in May 1997; his regime was subsequently challenged by a Rwanda- and Uganda-backed rebellion in August 1998. Troops from Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, Chad, and Sudan intervened to support the Kinshasa regime. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999, but sporadic fighting continued. KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and his son Joseph KABILA was named head of state. The new president quickly began overtures to end the war.
Birth rate 33.26 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) 46.02 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $38 million (2001)


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001)
revenues:
$269 million

expenditures:
$244 million, including capital expenditures of $24 million (1996 est.)
Capital Honiara Kinshasa
Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather tropical; hot and humid in equatorial river basin; cooler and drier in southern highlands; cooler and wetter in eastern highlands; north of Equator - wet season April to October, dry season December to February; south of Equator - wet season November to March, dry season April to October
Coastline 5,313 km 37 km
Constitution 7 July 1978 24 June 1967, amended August 1974, revised 15 February 1978, amended April 1990; transitional constitution promulgated in April 1994; in November 1998, a draft constitution was approved by former President Laurent KABILA but it has not been ratified by a national referendum
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Solomon Islands


former: British Solomon Islands
conventional long form:
Democratic Republic of the Congo

conventional short form:
none

local long form:
Republique Democratique du Congo

local short form:
none

former:
Congo Free State, Belgian Congo, Congo/Leopoldville, Congo/Kinshasa, Zaire

abbreviation:
DROC
Currency Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) Congolese franc (CDF)
Death rate 4.19 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) 15.15 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $137 million (2001 est.) $13 billion (1998 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands chief of mission:
Ambassador William Lacy SWING

embassy:
310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa

mailing address:
Unit 31550, APO AE 09828

telephone:
[243] (12) 21804, 21807

FAX:
[243] (88) 43805
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Jeremiah MANELE


chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017


telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193


FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925
chief of mission:
Ambassador Faida MITIFU

chancery:
1800 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20009

telephone:
[1] (202) 234-7690, 7691

FAX:
[1] (202) 234-2609
Disputes - international none the Democratic Republic of the Congo is in the grip of a civil war that has drawn in military forces from neighboring states, with Uganda and Rwanda supporting the rebel movements that occupy much of the eastern portion of the state; most of the Congo river boundary with the Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area)
Economic aid - recipient $28 million mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ (2001 est.) $195.3 million (1995)
Economy - overview 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 economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo - a nation endowed with vast potential wealth - has declined drastically since the mid-1980s. The new government instituted a tight fiscal policy that initially curbed inflation and currency depreciation, but these small gains were quickly reversed when the foreign-backed rebellion in the eastern part of the country began in August 1998. The war has dramatically reduced national output and government revenue and has increased external debt. Foreign businesses have curtailed operations due to uncertainty about the outcome of the conflict and because of increased government harassment and restrictions. The war has intensified the impact of such basic problems as an uncertain legal framework, corruption, raging inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations. A number of IMF and World Bank missions have met with the government to help it develop a coherent economic plan but associated reforms are on hold.
Electricity - consumption 29.76 million kWh (2000) 4.55 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) 404 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) 55 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 32 million kWh (2000) 5.268 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
fossil fuel:
2.05%

hydro:
97.95%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Pic Marguerite on Mont Ngaliema (Mount Stanley) 5,110 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying poaching threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; deforestation; refugees who arrived in mid-1994 were responsible for significant deforestation, soil erosion, and wildlife poaching in the eastern part of the country (most of those refugees were repatriated in November and December 1996)
Environment - international agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population
Exchange rates Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.3728 (December 2001), 5.0889 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997) Congolese francs per US dollar - 50 (January 2001), 4.5 (January 2000), 4.02 (1999), 1.61 (1998), 1.31 (1997), 0.50 (1996)

note:
on 30 June 1998 the Congolese franc was introduced, replacing the new zaire
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir John LAPLI (since NA 1999)


head of government: Prime Minister 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
chief of state:
Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government

head of government:
Joseph KABILA (since 26 January 2001); note - the president succeeded his father Laurent Desire KABILA after his assassination on 16 January 2001; as president he is both chief of state and head of government

cabinet:
National Executive Council, appointed by the president

elections:
before Laurent Desire KABILA seized power, the president was elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 29 July 1984 (next was scheduled to be held in May 1997); formerly, the prime minister was elected by the High Council of the Republic; note - elections were not held in 1991 as called for by the constitution

election results:
results of the last election were: MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga reelected president in 1984 without opposition

note:
Marshal MOBUTU Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga was president from 24 November 1965 until forced into exile on 16 May 1997 when his government was overthrown militarily by Laurent Desire KABILA, who immediately assumed governing authority; KABILA pledged to hold elections by April 1999, but in December 1998 announced that elections would be postponed until all foreign military forces attempting to topple the government had withdrawn from the country; KABILA was assassinated in January 2001 and was succeeded by his son Joseph KABILA
Exports $165 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) $960 million (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa diamonds, copper, coffee, cobalt, crude oil
Exports - partners Japan 22%, China 15%, Philippines 13%, South Korea 12%, UK 12%, Thailand 5% (2000) Benelux 62%, US 18%, South Africa, Finland, Italy (1999)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description 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 light blue with a large yellow five-pointed star in the center and a columnar arrangement of six small yellow five-pointed stars along the hoist side
GDP purchasing power parity - $800 million (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $31 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
agriculture:
58%

industry:
17%

services:
25% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,700 (2001 est.) purchasing power parity - $600 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate -10% (2001 est.) -15% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 159 00 E 0 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea straddles Equator; very narrow strip of land that controls the lower Congo river and is only outlet to South Atlantic Ocean; dense tropical rain forest in central river basin and eastern highlands
Highways total: 1,360 km


paved: 34 km


unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.)
total:
157,000 km (including 30 km of expressways)(1996)

paved:
NA km

unpaved:
NA km
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Illicit drugs - illicit producer of cannabis, mostly for domestic consumption
Imports $152 million f.o.b. (1999 est.) $660 million (c.i.f., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals foodstuffs, mining and other machinery, transport equipment, fuels
Imports - partners Australia 27%, Singapore 25%, NZ 5.5%, Japan 5.3%, US 5.1% (2000) South Africa 28%, Benelux 14%, Nigeria 9%, Kenya 7%, China (1999)
Independence 7 July 1978 (from UK) 30 June 1960 (from Belgium)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries fish (tuna), mining, timber mining (diamonds, copper, zinc), mineral processing, consumer products (including textiles, footwear, cigarettes, processed foods and beverages), cement
Infant mortality rate 23.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) 99.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 7.9% (2001 est.) 540% (2000 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CCC, CEEAC, CEPGL, ECA, FAO, G-19, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, PCA, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 2 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km 100 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Court of Appeal Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 26,842 14.51 million (1993 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 75%, industry 5%, services 20% (2000 est.) agriculture 65%, industry 16%, services 19% (1991 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total:
10,744 km

border countries:
Angola 2,511 km, Burundi 233 km, Central African Republic 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Rwanda 217 km, Sudan 628 km, Tanzania 473 km, Uganda 765 km, Zambia 1,930 km
Land use arable land: 1.5%


permanent crops: 0.64%


other: 97.86% (1998 est.)
arable land:
3%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
7%

forests and woodland:
77%

other:
13% (1993 est.)
Languages 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
French (official), Lingala (a lingua franca trade language), Kingwana (a dialect of Kiswahili or Swahili), Kikongo, Tshiluba
Legal system English common law, which is widely disregarded based on Belgian civil law system and tribal law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch 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 by 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
a 300-member Transitional Constituent Assembly established in August 2000

elections:
NA; members of the Transitional Constituent Assembly were appointed by former President KABILA
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.82 years


male: 69.38 years


female: 74.39 years (2002 est.)
total population:
48.94 years

male:
46.96 years

female:
50.98 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write French, Lingala, Kingwana, or Tshiluba

total population:
77.3%

male:
86.6%

female:
67.7% (1995 est.)
Location Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea Central Africa, northeast of Angola
Map references Oceania Africa
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


continental shelf: 200 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone:
boundaries with neighbors

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) none (2000 est.)
Military branches no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) Army, Navy, Air Force, Special Presidential Security Group
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $250 million (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 4.6% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
11,615,554 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
5,915,251 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 7 July (1978) Independence Day, 30 June (1960)
Nationality noun: Solomon Islander(s)


adjective: Solomon Islander
noun:
Congolese (singular and plural)

adjective:
Congolese or Congo
Natural hazards typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity periodic droughts in south; volcanic activity
Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel cobalt, copper, cadmium, petroleum, industrial and gem diamonds, gold, silver, zinc, manganese, tin, germanium, uranium, radium, bauxite, iron ore, coal, hydropower, timber
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) 0.14 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)

note:
one million refugees fled into Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo or DROC) in 1994 to escape the fighting between the Hutus and the Tutsis; fighting in the DROC between rebels and government forces in October 1996 caused 875,000 refugees to return to Rwanda in late 1996 and early 1997; an additional 173,000 Rwandan refugees disappeared in early 1997 and are assumed to have been killed by Zairian forces; fighting between the Congolese government and Uganda- and Rwanda-backed Congolese rebels spawned a regional war in DROC in August 1998, which left 1.8 million Congolese displaced in DROC and caused 300,000 Congolese refugees to flee to surrounding countries
Pipelines - petroleum products 390 km
Political parties and leaders 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
Democratic Social Christian Party or PDSC [Andre BO-BOLIKO]; Popular Movement of the Revolution or MPR [leader NA]; Unified Lumumbast Party or PALU [Antoine GIZENGA]; Union for Democracy and Social Progress or UDPS [Etienne TSHISEKEDI wa Mulumba]; Union of Federalists and Independent Republicans or UFERI [Kouyoumba MUCHULI Mulembe]
Political pressure groups and leaders NA NA
Population 494,786 (July 2002 est.) 53,624,718

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 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.91% (2002 est.) 3.1% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina Banana, Boma, Bukavu, Bumba, Goma, Kalemie, Kindu, Kinshasa, Kisangani, Matadi, Mbandaka
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 3, FM 12, shortwave 1 (1999)
Radios 57,000 (1997) 18.03 million (1997)
Railways 0 km total:
5,138 km (1995)

note:
severely reduced route-distance in use because of damage to facilities by civil strife

narrow gauge:
3,987 km 1.067-m gauge (858 km electrified); 125 km 1.000-m gauge; 1,026 km 0.600-m gauge (2000)
Religions Anglican 45%, Roman Catholic 18%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 12%, Baptist 9%, Seventh-Day Adventist 7%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% Roman Catholic 50%, Protestant 20%, Kimbanguist 10%, Muslim 10%, other syncretic sects and indigenous beliefs 10%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.95 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2002 est.)
at birth:
1.03 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

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

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

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
general assessment:
NA

domestic:
barely adequate wire and microwave radio relay service in and between urban areas; domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations

international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 8,000 (1997) 21,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 658 (1997) 8,900 (1997)
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 20 (1999)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls vast central basin is a low-lying plateau; mountains in east
Total fertility rate 4.5 children born/woman (2002 est.) 6.84 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways none 15,000 km (including the Congo and its tributaries, and unconnected lakes)
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