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Compare South Africa (2008) - Saint Martin (2008)

Compare South Africa (2008) z Saint Martin (2008)

 South Africa (2008)Saint Martin (2008)
 South AfricaSaint Martin
Administrative divisions 9 provinces; Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, North-West, Western Cape -
Age structure 0-14 years: 29.1% (male 6,447,623/female 6,370,909)


15-64 years: 65.5% (male 14,040,210/female 14,761,179)


65 years and over: 5.4% (male 917,227/female 1,460,680) (2007 est.)
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Agriculture - products corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables; beef, poultry, mutton, wool, dairy products -
Airports 728 (2007) 1
Airports - with paved runways total: 146


over 3,047 m: 10


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 51


914 to 1,523 m: 67


under 914 m: 13 (2007)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 582


1,524 to 2,437 m: 34


914 to 1,523 m: 300


under 914 m: 248 (2007)
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Area total: 1,219,912 sq km


land: 1,219,912 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Prince Edward Islands (Marion Island and Prince Edward Island)
total: 54.4 sq km


land: 54.4 sq km


water: NEGL
Area - comparative slightly less than twice the size of Texas more than one-third the size of Washington, DC
Background Dutch traders landed at the southern tip of modern day South Africa in 1652 and established a stopover point on the spice route between the Netherlands and the East, founding the city of Cape Town. After the British seized the Cape of Good Hope area in 1806, many of the Dutch settlers (the Boers) trekked north to found their own republics. The discovery of diamonds (1867) and gold (1886) spurred wealth and immigration and intensified the subjugation of the native inhabitants. The Boers resisted British encroachments but were defeated in the Boer War (1899-1902); however, the British and the Afrikaners, as the Boers became known, ruled together under the Union of South Africa. In 1948, the National Party was voted into power and instituted a policy of apartheid - the separate development of the races. The first multi-racial elections in 1994 brought an end to apartheid and ushered in black majority rule. Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity.
Birth rate 17.94 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Budget revenues: $68.2 billion


expenditures: $66.7 billion (2007 est.)
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Capital name: Pretoria (administrative capital)


geographic coordinates: 25 42 S, 28 13 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: Cape Town (legislative capital); Bloemfontein (judicial capital)
name: Marigot


geographical coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)


daylight savings: +1 hour
Climate mostly semiarid; subtropical along east coast; sunny days, cool nights temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-Novemeber is the hurricane season
Coastline 2,798 km 58.9 km (for entire island)
Constitution 10 December 1996; this new constitution was certified by the Constitutional Court on 4 December 1996, was signed by then President MANDELA on 10 December 1996, and entered into effect on 4 February 1997; it is being implemented in phases 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name conventional long form: Republic of South Africa


conventional short form: South Africa


former: Union of South Africa


abbreviation: RSA
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin


conventional short form: Saint Martin


local long form: Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin


local short form: Saint-Martin
Death rate 22.45 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) -
Debt - external $64.8 billion (30 September 2007) -
Dependency status - overseas collectivity of France
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador Eric BOST


embassy: 877 Pretorius Street, Pretoria


mailing address: P. O. Box 9536, Pretoria 0001


telephone: [27] (12) 342-1048


FAX: [27] (12) 342-2244


consulate(s) general: Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Welile Augustine NHLAPO


chancery: 3051 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-4400


FAX: [1] (202) 265-1607


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York
none (overseas collectivity of France)
Disputes - international South Africa has placed military along the border to apprehend the thousands of Zimbabweans fleeing economic dysfunction and political persecution; as of January 2007, South Africa also supports large numbers of refugees and asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (33,000), Somalia (20,000), Burundi (6,500), and other states in Africa (26,000); managed dispute with Namibia over the location of the boundary in the Orange River; in 2006, Swazi king advocates resort to ICJ to claim parts of Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal from South Africa -
Economic aid - recipient $700 million (2005) -
Economy - overview South Africa is a middle-income, emerging market with an abundant supply of natural resources; well-developed financial, legal, communications, energy, and transport sectors; a stock exchange that is 17th largest in the world; and modern infrastructure supporting an efficient distribution of goods to major urban centers throughout the region. Growth has been robust since 2004, as South Africa has reaped the benefits of macroeconomic stability and a global commodities boom. However, unemployment remains high and outdated infrastructure has constrained growth. At the end of 2007, South Africa began to experience an electricity crisis because state power supplier Eskom suffered supply problems with aged plants, necessitating "load-shedding" cuts to residents and businesses in the major cities. Daunting economic problems remain from the apartheid era - especially poverty, lack of economic empowerment among the disadvantaged groups, and a shortage of public transportation. South African economic policy is fiscally conservative but pragmatic, focusing on controlling inflation, maintaining a budget surplus, and using state-owned enterprises to deliver basic services to low-income areas as a means to increase job growth and household income. The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.
Electricity - consumption 241.4 billion kWh (2007) -
Electricity - exports 13.42 billion kWh (2005) -
Electricity - imports 11.32 billion kWh (2007) -
Electricity - production 264 billion kWh (2007) -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Njesuthi 3,408 m
lowest point: Caribbean Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m
Environment - current issues lack of important arterial rivers or lakes requires extensive water conservation and control measures; growth in water usage outpacing supply; pollution of rivers from agricultural runoff and urban discharge; air pollution resulting in acid rain; soil erosion; desertification fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water
Environment - international agreements party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
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Ethnic groups black African 79%, white 9.6%, colored 8.9%, Indian/Asian 2.5% (2001 census) creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian
Exchange rates rand per US dollar - 7.05 (2007), 6.7649 (2006), 6.3593 (2005), 6.4597 (2004), 7.5648 (2003) euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Thabo MBEKI (since 16 June 1999); Executive Deputy President Phumzile MLAMBO-NGCUKA (since 23 June 2005)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 24 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2009)


election results: Thabo MBEKI elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 100% (by acclamation)
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)


head of government: President of the Territorial Council Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council


election: French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term


election results: Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
Exports 217,700 bbl/day (2004) -
Exports - commodities gold, diamonds, platinum, other metals and minerals, machinery and equipment -
Exports - partners Japan 12.1%, US 11.8%, UK 9%, Germany 7.6%, Netherlands 5.3%, China 4% (2006) -
Fiscal year 1 April - 31 March -
Flag description two equal width horizontal bands of red (top) and blue separated by a central green band which splits into a horizontal Y, the arms of which end at the corners of the hoist side; the Y embraces a black isosceles triangle from which the arms are separated by narrow yellow bands; the red and blue bands are separated from the green band and its arms by narrow white stripes the flag of France is used
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 2.2%


industry: 27%


services: 70.9% (2007 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2007 est.) -
Geographic coordinates 29 00 S, 24 00 E 18 05 N, 63 57 W
Geography - note South Africa completely surrounds Lesotho and almost completely surrounds Swaziland the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten
Heliports 1 (2007) -
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 1.4%


highest 10%: 44.7% (2000)
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Illicit drugs transshipment center for heroin, hashish, and cocaine, as well as a major cultivator of marijuana in its own right; cocaine and heroin consumption on the rise; world's largest market for illicit methaqualone, usually imported illegally from India through various east African countries, but increasingly producing its own synthetic drugs for domestic consumption; attractive venue for money launderers given the increasing level of organized criminal and narcotics activity in the region and the size of the South African economy -
Imports 319,000 bbl/day (2006 est.) -
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum products, scientific instruments, foodstuffs crude petroleum, food, manufactured items
Imports - partners Germany 12.6%, China 10%, US 7.6%, Japan 6.6%, Saudi Arabia 5.3%, UK 5% (2006) US, Mexico (2006)
Independence 31 May 1910 (Union of South Africa formed from four British colonies: Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange Free State); 31 May 1961 (republic declared) 27 April 1994 (majority rule) none (overseas collectivity of France)
Industrial production growth rate 6.2% (2007 est.) -
Industries mining (world's largest producer of platinum, gold, chromium), automobile assembly, metalworking, machinery, textiles, iron and steel, chemicals, fertilizer, foodstuffs, commercial ship repair tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry
Infant mortality rate total: 59.44 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 62.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 55.84 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
-
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.5% (2007 est.) -
International organization participation ACP, AfDB, AU, BIS, C, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, NSG, OPCW, PCA, SACU, SADC, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC UPU
Irrigated land 14,980 sq km (2003) -
Judicial branch Constitutional Court; Supreme Court of Appeals; High Courts; Magistrate Courts -
Labor force 20.49 million economically active (2007 est.) -
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 9%


industry: 26%


services: 65% (2007 est.)
85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry
Land boundaries total: 4,862 km


border countries: Botswana 1,840 km, Lesotho 909 km, Mozambique 491 km, Namibia 967 km, Swaziland 430 km, Zimbabwe 225 km
total: 15 km


border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km
Land use arable land: 12.1%


permanent crops: 0.79%


other: 87.11% (2005)
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Languages IsiZulu 23.8%, IsiXhosa 17.6%, Afrikaans 13.3%, Sepedi 9.4%, English 8.2%, Setswana 8.2%, Sesotho 7.9%, Xitsonga 4.4%, other 7.2% (2001 census) French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)
Legal system based on Roman-Dutch law and English common law the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch bicameral Parliament consisting of the National Assembly (400 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional representation to serve five-year terms) and the National Council of Provinces (90 seats, 10 members elected by each of the nine provincial legislatures for five-year terms; has special powers to protect regional interests, including the safeguarding of cultural and linguistic traditions among ethnic minorities); note - following the implementation of the new constitution on 4 February 1997, the former Senate was disbanded and replaced by the National Council of Provinces with essentially no change in membership and party affiliations, although the new institution's responsibilities have been changed somewhat by the new constitution


elections: National Assembly and National Council of Provinces - last held on 14 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009)


election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - ANC 69.7%, DA 12.4%, IFP 7%, UDM 2.3%, NNP 1.7%, ACDP 1.6%, other 5.3%; seats by party - ANC 279, DA 50, IFP 28, UDM 9, NNP 7, ACDP 6, other 21; National Council of Provinces - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA
unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012)


election results: percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 42.45 years


male: 43.21 years


female: 41.66 years (2007 est.)
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Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 86.4%


male: 87%


female: 85.7% (2003 est.)
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Location Southern Africa, at the southern tip of the continent of Africa island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references Africa Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to edge of the continental margin
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Merchant marine total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 28,722 GRT/32,226 DWT


by type: container 1, petroleum tanker 1


foreign-owned: 1 (Denmark 1)


registered in other countries: 6 (Bahamas 1, Seychelles 1, UK 4, unknown 1) (2007)
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Military - note with the end of apartheid and the establishment of majority rule, former military, black homelands forces, and ex-opposition forces were integrated into the South African National Defense Force (SANDF); as of 2003 the integration process was considered complete defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches South African National Defense Force (SANDF): South African Army, South African Navy (SAN), South African Air Force (SAAF), Joint Operations Command, Joint Support Command, Military Intelligence, Military Health Service (2007) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.7% (2006) -
National holiday Freedom Day, 27 April (1994) Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848)
Nationality noun: South African(s)


adjective: South African
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Natural hazards prolonged droughts -
Natural resources gold, chromium, antimony, coal, iron ore, manganese, nickel, phosphates, tin, uranium, gem diamonds, platinum, copper, vanadium, salt, natural gas salt
Net migration rate -0.08 migrant(s)/1,000 population


note: there is an increasing flow of Zimbabweans into South Africa and Botswana in search of better economic opportunities (2007 est.)
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Pipelines condensate 100 km; gas 1,177 km; oil 992 km; refined products 1,379 km (2007) -
Political parties and leaders African Christian Democratic Party or ACDP [Kenneth MESHOE]; African National Congress or ANC [Jacob ZUMA]; Democratic Alliance or DA [Helen ZILLE]; Freedom Front Plus or FF+ [Pieter MULDER]; Inkatha Freedom Party or IFP [Mangosuthu BUTHELEZI]; New National Party or NNP; Pan-Africanist Congress or PAC [Motsoko PHEKO]; United Democratic Movement or UDM [Bantu HOLOMISA] Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET]
Political pressure groups and leaders Congress of South African Trade Unions or COSATU [Zwelinzima VAVI, general secretary]; South African Communist Party or SACP [Blade NZIMANDE, general secretary]; South African National Civics Organization or SANCO [Mlungisi HLONGWANE, national president]; note - COSATU and SACP are in a formal alliance with the ANC -
Population 43,997,828


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.)
33,102 (October 2004 census)
Population below poverty line 50% (2000 est.) -
Population growth rate -0.46% (2007 est.) -
Radio broadcast stations AM 14, FM 347 (plus 243 repeaters), shortwave 1 (1998) FM 3 (2007)
Railways total: 20,872 km


narrow gauge: 20,436 km 1.065-m gauge (8,931 km electrified); 436 km 0.610-m gauge (2006)
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Religions Zion Christian 11.1%, Pentecostal/Charismatic 8.2%, Catholic 7.1%, Methodist 6.8%, Dutch Reformed 6.7%, Anglican 3.8%, Muslim 1.5%, other Christian 36%, other 2.3%, unspecified 1.4%, none 15.1% (2001 census) Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu
Sex ratio at birth: 1.02 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.951 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.628 male(s)/female


total population: 0.947 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
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Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age, universal
Telephone system general assessment: the system is the best developed and most modern in Africa


domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity roughly 100 telephones per 100 persons; consists of carrier-equipped open-wire lines, coaxial cables, microwave radio relay links, fiber-optic cable, radiotelephone communication stations, and wireless local loops; key centers are Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth, and Pretoria


international: country code - 27; the SAT-3/WASC and SAFE fiber optic cable systems connect in South Africa providing connectivity to Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Indian Ocean and 2 Atlantic Ocean)
general assessment: fully integrated access


domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems


international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Gudaloupe
Telephones - main lines in use 4.729 million (2005) -
Telephones - mobile cellular 39.66 million (2006) -
Television broadcast stations 556 (plus 144 network repeaters) (1997) -
Terrain vast interior plateau rimmed by rugged hills and narrow coastal plain -
Total fertility rate 2.16 children born/woman (2007 est.) -
Transportation - note - nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten
Unemployment rate 24.2% (2007 est.) -
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