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Compare Solomon Islands (2006) - Gabon (2007)

Compare Solomon Islands (2006) z Gabon (2007)

 Solomon Islands (2006)Gabon (2007)
 Solomon IslandsGabon
Administrative divisions 9 provinces and 1 capital territory*; Central, Choiseul, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Rennell and Bellona, Temotu, Western 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem
Age structure 0-14 years: 41.3% (male 116,370/female 111,834)


15-64 years: 55.4% (male 154,793/female 151,308)


65 years and over: 3.3% (male 8,696/female 9,437) (2006 est.)
0-14 years: 42.1% (male 307,444/female 305,468)


15-64 years: 53.9% (male 391,194/female 393,103)


65 years and over: 4% (male 23,978/female 33,680) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products cocoa beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; timber; cattle, pigs; fish cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish
Airports 35 (2006) 53 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006)
total: 10


over 3,047 m: 1


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 33


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 9


under 914 m: 23 (2006)
total: 43


1,524 to 2,437 m: 7


914 to 1,523 m: 13


under 914 m: 23 (2007)
Area total: 28,450 sq km


land: 27,540 sq km


water: 910 sq km
total: 267,667 sq km


land: 257,667 sq km


water: 10,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than Maryland slightly smaller than Colorado
Background The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on this archipelago. 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. Only two autocratic presidents have ruled Gabon since independence from France in 1960. The current president of Gabon, El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba - one of the longest-serving heads of state in the world - has dominated the country's political scene for almost four decades. President BONGO introduced a nominal multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s. However, allegations of electoral fraud during local elections in 2002-03 and the presidential elections in 2005 have exposed the weaknesses of formal political structures in Gabon. Gabon's political opposition remains weak, divided, and financially dependent on the current regime. Despite political conditions, a small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous and stable African countries.
Birth rate 30.01 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 35.96 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $49.7 million


expenditures: $75.1 million; including capital expenditures of NA (2003)
revenues: $3.027 billion


expenditures: $2.146 billion (2006 est.)
Capital name: Honiara


geographic coordinates: 9 26 S, 159 57 E


time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
name: Libreville


geographic coordinates: 0 23 N, 9 27 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather tropical; always hot, humid
Coastline 5,313 km 885 km
Constitution 7 July 1978 adopted 14 March 1991
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Solomon Islands


local long form: none


local short form: Solomon Islands


former: British Solomon Islands
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic


conventional short form: Gabon


local long form: Republique gabonaise


local short form: Gabon
Death rate 3.92 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 12.45 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $166 million (2004) $3.849 billion (2006 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 Barrie R. WALKLEY


embassy: Boulevard du Bord de Mer, Libreville


mailing address: Centre Ville, B. P. 4000, Libreville


telephone: [241] 76 20 03 through 76 20 04, after hours - 74 34 92


FAX: [241] 74 55 07
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
chief of mission: Ambassador Jules Marius OGOUEBANDJA


chancery: Suite 200, 2034 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009


telephone: [1] (202) 797-1000


FAX: [1] (202) 332-0668


consulate(s): New York
Disputes - international Australian Defense Force leads the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) at the invitation of the Solomon Islands' Government to maintain civil and political order and reinforce regional security UN urges Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and lesser islands and to establish a maritime boundary in hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Economic aid - recipient $122 million annually, mainly from Australia (2004 est.) $53.87 million (2005)
Economy - overview The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of its 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. Prior to the arrival of the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI), severe ethnic violence, the closing of key businesses, and an empty government treasury culminated in economic collapse. RAMSI has enabled a return to law and order, a new period of economic stability, and modest growth as the economy rebuilds. Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most of sub-Saharan African nations. This has supported a sharp decline in extreme poverty; yet, because of high income inequality, a large proportion of the population remains poor. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. The oil sector now accounts for 50% of GDP. Gabon continues to face fluctuating prices for its oil, timber, and manganese exports. Despite the abundance of natural wealth, poor fiscal management hobbles the economy. Devaluation of its currency by 50% in January 1994 sparked a one-time inflationary surge, to 35%; the rate dropped to 6% in 1996. The IMF provided a one-year standby arrangement in 1994-95, a three-year Enhanced Financing Facility (EFF) at near commercial rates beginning in late 1995, and stand-by credit of $119 million in October 2000. Those agreements mandated progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon met IMF targets for mid-1996. In 1997, an IMF mission to Gabon criticized the government for overspending on off-budget items, overborrowing from the central bank, and slipping on its schedule for privatization and administrative reform. The rebound of oil prices in 1999-2000 helped growth, but drops in production hampered Gabon from fully realizing potential gains. In December 2000, Gabon signed a new agreement with the Paris Club to reschedule its official debt. A follow-up bilateral repayment agreement with the US was signed in December 2001. Gabon signed a 14-month Stand-By Arrangement with the IMF in May 2004, and received Paris Club debt rescheduling later that year. Short-term progress depends on an upbeat world economy and fiscal and other adjustments in line with IMF policies.
Electricity - consumption 51.15 million kWh (2003) 1.241 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 55 million kWh (2003) 1.52 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


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


highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m
Environment - current issues deforestation; soil erosion; many of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying deforestation; poaching
Environment - international 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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Melanesian 94.5%, Polynesian 3%, Micronesian 1.2%, other 1.1%, unspecified 0.2% (1999 census) Bantu tribes, including four major tribal groupings (Fang, Bapounou, Nzebi, Obamba); other Africans and Europeans, 154,000, including 10,700 French and 11,000 persons of dual nationality
Exchange rates Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 7.5299 (2005), 7.4847 (2004), 7.5059 (2003), 6.7488 (2002), 5.278 (2001) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)
Executive branch 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 Manasseh SOGAVARE (since 4 May 2006); note - Prime Minister Snyder RINI, elected on 18 April 2006 and sworn in on 20 April 2006, resigned on 26 April prior to no confidence vote in parliament; SOGAVARE elected on 4 May


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 (eligible for a second term); 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: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba (since 2 December 1967)


head of government: Prime Minister Jean Eyeghe NDONG (since 20 January 2006)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the prime minister in consultation with the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 27 November 2005 (next to be held in 2012); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO Ondimba 79.2%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 13.6%, Zacharie MYBOTO 6.6%
Exports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities timber, fish, copra, palm oil, cocoa crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
Exports - partners China 40.7%, South Korea 13.2%, Thailand 6.9%, Japan 6.3%, Philippines 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2005) US 27.6%, China 15.9%, France 7.8%, Trinidad and Tobago 5.4%, Thailand 4.3% (2006)
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 three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 42%


industry: 11%


services: 47% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 6%


industry: 58.4%


services: 35.6% (2006 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 4.4% (2005 est.) 1.2% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 159 00 E 1 00 S, 11 45 E
Geography - note strategic location on sea routes between the South Pacific Ocean, the Solomon Sea, and the Coral Sea a small population and oil and mineral reserves have helped Gabon become one of Africa's wealthier countries; in general, these circumstances have allowed the country to maintain and conserve its pristine rain forest and rich biodiversity
Government - note June 2003 Prime Minister Sir Allan KEMAKEZA sought the intervention of Australia to aid in restoring order; parliament approved the request for intervention in July 2003; troops from Australia, NZ, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Tonga arrived 24 July 2003; by 2006, the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands (RAMSI) had been scaled back to 259 police officers and 20 military, in addition to civilian technical advisers; in response to rioting that broke out in mid-April 2006, Australia dispatched an addtional 220 troops and 70 police officers to help restore order -
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


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


highest 10%: NA%
Imports NA bbl/day NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities food, plant and equipment, manufactured goods, fuels, chemicals machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials
Imports - partners Australia 25.8%, Singapore 25.3%, NZ 4.6%, Fiji 4.2%, Papua New Guinea 4.1% (2005) France 35.3%, US 7.7%, Netherlands 5.6%, Cameroon 4.5%, Belgium 4.4% (2006)
Independence 7 July 1978 (from UK) 17 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 1.6% (2002 est.)
Industries fish (tuna), mining, timber petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, gold; chemicals, ship repair, food and beverages, textiles, lumbering and plywood, cement
Infant mortality rate total: 20.63 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 23.54 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
total: 53.65 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 62.53 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 44.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.6% (2005 est.) 4% (2006 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IOC, ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land NA 70 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Court of Appeal Supreme Court or Cour Supreme consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts
Labor force 249,200 (1999) 574,000 (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 75%


industry: 5%


services: 20% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 60%


industry: 15%


services: 25%
Land boundaries 0 km total: 2,551 km


border countries: Cameroon 298 km, Republic of the Congo 1,903 km, Equatorial Guinea 350 km
Land use arable land: 0.62%


permanent crops: 2.04%


other: 97.34% (2005)
arable land: 1.21%


permanent crops: 0.64%


other: 98.15% (2005)
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), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
Legal system English common law, which is widely disregarded based on French civil law system and customary law; judicial review of legislative acts in Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court; 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 April 2006 (next to be held in 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - National Party 6.9%, SIPRA 6.3%, Democratic 4.9%, PAP 6.3%, LAFARI 2.8%, Liberal 5%, SOCRED 4.3%, independents 60.3%; seats by party - National Party 4, SIPRA 4, Democratic 3, PAP 3, LAFARI 2, Liberal 2, SOCRED 2, independents 30
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 2003 (next to be held by January 2009); National Assembly - last held 17 and 24 December 2006 (next to be held in December 2011)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDG 82, RPG 8, UPG 8, UGDD 4, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PGP-Ndaot 2, PSD 2, independents 4, others 5
Life expectancy at birth total population: 72.91 years


male: 70.4 years


female: 75.55 years (2006 est.)
total population: 53.99 years


male: 52.85 years


female: 55.17 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 63.2%


male: 73.7%


female: 53.3% (1995 est.)
Location Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
Map references Oceania Africa
Maritime claims measured from claimed archipelagic baselines


territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - registered in other countries: 2 (Cambodia 1, Panama 1) (2007)
Military branches no regular military forces; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Police
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 3.4% (2005 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 7 July (1978) Independence Day, 17 August (1960)
Nationality noun: Solomon Islander(s)


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


adjective: Gabonese
Natural hazards typhoons, but rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity NA
Natural resources fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel petroleum, natural gas, diamond, niobium, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -3.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - gas 272 km; oil 1,354 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders Association of Independent Members or AIM [Thomas CHAN]; Christian Alliance Solomon Islands or CASI [Edward RONIA]; LAFARI Party [John GARO]; National Party [Francis HILLY]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [Sir Allan KEMAKEZA]; Social Credit Party or SOCRED [Manasseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon First Party [David QUAN]; Solomon Islands Democratic Party [Gabriel SURI]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; Solomon Islands Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; Solomon Islands Party for Rural Advancement or SIPRA [Job D. TAUSINGA]; United Party [Sir Peter KENILOREA]


note: in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions
Circle of Liberal Reformers or CLR [General Jean Boniface ASSELE]; Congress for Democracy and Justice or CDJ [Jules Aristide Bourdes OGOULIGUENDE]; Democratic and Republican Alliance or ADERE [Divungui-di-Ndinge DIDJOB]; Gabonese Democratic Party or PDG (former sole party) [Simplice Nguedet MANZELA]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE]; Gabonese Union for Democracy and Development or UGDD [Zacherie MYBOTO]; National Rally of Woodcutters or RNB; National Rally of Woodcutters-Rally for Gabon or RNB-RPG (Bucherons) [Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE]; People's Unity Party or PUP [Louis Gaston MAYILA]; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP [Pierre EMBONI]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Pierre Claver MAGANGA-MOUSSAVOU]; Union for Democracy and Social Integration or UDIS; Union of Gabonese Patriots or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]
Political pressure groups and leaders Isatabu Freedom Movement (IFM); Malaita Eagle Force (MEF); note - these rival armed ethnic factions crippled the Solomon Islands in a wave of violence from 1999 to 2003 NA
Population 552,438 (July 2006 est.) 1,454,867


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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 2.61% (2006 est.) 2.036% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1 (2004) AM 6, FM 7 (plus 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001)
Railways - total: 814 km


standard gauge: 814 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions Church of Melanesia 32.8%, Roman Catholic 19%, South Seas Evangelical 17%, Seventh-Day Adventist 11.2%, United Church 10.3%, Christian Fellowship Church 2.4%, other Christian 4.4%, other 2.4%, unspecified 0.3%, none 0.2% (1999 census) Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
Sex ratio 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: 0.92 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.006 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.995 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.712 male(s)/female


total population: 0.987 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 21 years of age; universal 21 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: NA


domestic: NA


international: country code - 677; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
general assessment: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of a growing mobile cell network system with three providers; mobile-cellular subscribership exceeded 50 per 100 persons in 2006


domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations


international: country code - 241; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 7,400 (2005) 36,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 6,000 (2005) 764,700 (2006)
Television broadcast stations - 4 (plus 4 repeaters) (2001)
Terrain mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south
Total fertility rate 3.91 children born/woman (2006 est.) 4.71 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 21% (2006 est.)
Waterways - 1,600 km (310 km on Ogooue River) (2007)
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