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Compare Svalbard (2008) - Benin (2006)

Compare Svalbard (2008) z Benin (2006)

 Svalbard (2008)Benin (2006)
 SvalbardBenin
Administrative divisions - 12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou
Age structure 0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
0-14 years: 44.1% (male 1,751,709/female 1,719,138)


15-64 years: 53.5% (male 2,067,248/female 2,138,957)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 75,694/female 110,198) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products - cotton, corn, cassava (tapioca), yams, beans, palm oil, peanuts; livestock
Airports 4 (2007) 5 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2007)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 3


under 914 m: 3 (2007)
total: 4


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2006)
Area total: 61,020 sq km


land: 61,020 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes Spitsbergen and Bjornoya (Bear Island)
total: 112,620 sq km


land: 110,620 sq km


water: 2,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly smaller than West Virginia slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
Background First discovered by the Norwegians in the 12th century, the islands served as an international whaling base during the 17th and 18th centuries. Norway's sovereignty was recognized in 1920; five years later it officially took over the territory. Present day Benin was the site of Dahomey, a prominent West African kingdom that rose in the 15th century. The territory became a French Colony in 1872 and achieved independence on 1 August 1960, as the Republic of Benin. A succession of military governments ended in 1972 with the rise to power of Mathieu KEREKOU and the establishment of a government based on Marxist-Leninist principles. A move to representative government began in 1989. Two years later, free elections ushered in former Prime Minister Nicephore SOGLO as president, marking the first successful transfer of power in Africa from a dictatorship to a democracy. KEREKOU was returned to power by elections held in 1996 and 2001, though some irregularities were alleged.
Birth rate NA 38.85 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $25.07 million


expenditures: $NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $766.8 million


expenditures: $1.017 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital name: Longyearbyen


geographic coordinates: 78 13 N, 15 33 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
name: Porto-Novo (official capital)


geographic coordinates: 6 29 N, 2 37 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


note: Cotonou (seat of government)
Climate arctic, tempered by warm North Atlantic Current; cool summers, cold winters; North Atlantic Current flows along west and north coasts of Spitsbergen, keeping water open and navigable most of the year tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
Coastline 3,587 km 121 km
Constitution - December 1990
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Svalbard (sometimes referred to as Spitzbergen)
conventional long form: Republic of Benin


conventional short form: Benin


local long form: Republique du Benin


local short form: Benin


former: Dahomey
Death rate NA 12.22 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external - $1.6 billion (2000)
Dependency status territory of Norway; administered by the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice, through a governor (sysselmann) residing in Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen; by treaty (9 February 1920) sovereignty was awarded to Norway -
Diplomatic representation from the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Wayne NEILL


embassy: Rue Caporal Bernard Anani, Cotonou


mailing address: 01 B. P. 2012, Cotonou


telephone: [229] 30-06-50


FAX: [229] 30-06-70
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission: Ambassador Cyrille Segbe OGUIN


chancery: 2124 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 232-6656


FAX: [1] (202) 265-1996
Disputes - international despite recent discussions, Russia and Norway dispute their maritime limits in the Barents Sea and Russia's fishing rights beyond Svalbard's territorial limits within the Svalbard Treaty zone Benin and Burkina Faso military clash in 2006 over sections of riverine boundary involving disputed villages and squatters; much of Benin-Niger boundary, including tripoint with Nigeria, remains undemarcated; in 2005, Nigeria ceded thirteen villages to Benin as a consequence of a 2004 joint task force to resolve maritime and land boundary disputes, but clashes among rival gangs along the border persist; a joint boundary commission continues to resurvey the boundary with Togo to verify Benin's claim that Togo moved boundary stones
Economic aid - recipient $8.2 million from Norway (1998) $342.6 million (2000)
Economy - overview Coal mining is the major economic activity on Svalbard. The treaty of 9 February 1920 gave the 41 signatories equal rights to exploit mineral deposits, subject to Norwegian regulation. Although US, UK, Dutch, and Swedish coal companies have mined in the past, the only companies still mining are Norwegian and Russian. The settlements on Svalbard are essentially company towns. The Norwegian state-owned coal company employs nearly 60% of the Norwegian population on the island, runs many of the local services, and provides most of the local infrastructure. There is also some hunting of seal, reindeer, and fox. The economy of Benin remains underdeveloped and dependent on subsistence agriculture, cotton production, and regional trade. Growth in real output has averaged around 5% in the past six years, but rapid population growth has offset much of this increase. Inflation has subsided over the past several years. In order to raise growth still further, Benin plans to attract more foreign investment, place more emphasis on tourism, facilitate the development of new food processing systems and agricultural products, and encourage new information and communication technology. Many of these proposals are included in Benin's application to receive Millennium Challenge Account funding - for which it was a finalist in 2004-05. The 2001 privatization policy continues in telecommunications, water, electricity, and agriculture in spite of government reluctance. The Paris Club and bilateral creditors have eased the external debt situation, with Benin benefiting from a G8 debt reduction announced in July 2005, while pressing for more rapid structural reforms. Benin continues to be hurt by Nigerian trade protection that bans imports of a growing list of products from Benin and elsewhere, which has resulted in increased smuggling and criminality in the border region.
Electricity - consumption - 538.2 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports - 474 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - production - 69 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Arctic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Newtontoppen 1,717 m
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Mont Sokbaro 658 m
Environment - current issues NA inadequate supplies of potable water; poaching threatens wildlife populations; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements - party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Norwegian 55.4%, Russian and Ukrainian 44.3%, other 0.3% (1998) African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba), Europeans 5,500
Exchange rates Norwegian kroner per US dollar - 5.8396 (2007), 6.4117 (2006), 6.4425 (2005), 6.7408 (2004), 7.0802 (2003) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: King HARALD V of Norway (since 17 January 1991)


head of government: Governor Per SEFLAND (since 1 October 2005); Assistant Governor Rune Baard HANSEN (since 2003)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor and assistant governor responsible to the Polar Department of the Ministry of Justice
chief of state: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President YAYI Boni (since 6 April 2006)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president reelected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); runoff election held 19 March 2006 (next to be held March 2011)


election results: YAYI Boni elected president; percent of vote - YAYI Boni 74.5%, Adrien HOUNGBEDJI 25.5%
Exports $197.6 million (2004) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities - cotton, crude oil, palm products, cocoa
Exports - partners - China 31.3%, Indonesia 8.1%, India 7.4%, Niger 6%, Togo 4.8%, Thailand 4.8%, Nigeria 4.6% (2005)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description the flag of Norway is used two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red (bottom) with a vertical green band on the hoist side
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 31.6%


industry: 13.8%


services: 54.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA% 3.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 78 00 N, 20 00 E 9 30 N, 2 15 E
Geography - note northernmost part of the Kingdom of Norway; consists of nine main islands; glaciers and snowfields cover 60% of the total area; Spitsbergen Island is the site of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, a seed repository established by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Norwegian Government sandbanks create difficult access to a coast with no natural harbors, river mouths, or islands
Heliports 1 (2007) -
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - transshipment point for narcotics associated with Nigerian trafficking organizations and most commonly destined for Western Europe and the US; vulnerable to money laundering due to a poorly regulated financial infrastructure
Imports $NA NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities - foodstuffs, capital goods, petroleum products
Imports - partners - France 21.8%, Ghana 7.1%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, China 6.7%, UK 5.2%, Belgium 4.9%, Togo 4.5%, Thailand 4.2%, Nigeria 4% (2005)
Independence none (territory of Norway) 1 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - 8.3% (2001 est.)
Industries - textiles, food processing, construction materials, cement
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total: 79.56 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 84.09 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 74.88 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 3.5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation none ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM, OIC, OIF, ONUB, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOCI, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land NA 120 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - Constitutional Court or Cour Constitutionnelle; Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; High Court of Justice
Labor force NA 3.211 million
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,989 km


border countries: Burkina Faso 306 km, Niger 266 km, Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (no trees; the only bushes are crowberry and cloudberry) (2005)
arable land: 23.53%


permanent crops: 2.37%


other: 74.1% (2005)
Languages Norwegian, Russian French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)
Legal system the laws of Norway, where applicable, apply based on French civil law and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch - unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (83 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 30 March 2003 (next to be held March 2007)


election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Presidential Movement (UBF, MADEP, FC, Alliance MDC-PC-CPP, IPD, AFP, MDS, RDP) 52, opposition (PRB, PRD, E'toile, and 5 other small parties) 31
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total population: 53.04 years


male: 51.9 years


female: 54.22 years (2006 est.)
Literacy NA definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 33.6%


male: 46.4%


female: 22.6% (2002 est.)
Location Northern Europe, islands between the Arctic Ocean, Barents Sea, Greenland Sea, and Norwegian Sea, north of Norway Western Africa, bordering the Bight of Benin, between Nigeria and Togo
Map references Arctic Region Africa
Maritime claims territorial sea: 4 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm unilaterally claimed by Norway but not recognized by Russia
territorial sea: 200 nm
Military - note demilitarized by treaty on 9 February 1920 -
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $100.9 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.3% (2005 est.)
National holiday - National Day, 1 August (1960)
Nationality - noun: Beninese (singular and plural)


adjective: Beninese
Natural hazards ice floes often block the entrance to Bellsund (a transit point for coal export) on the west coast and occasionally make parts of the northeastern coast inaccessible to maritime traffic hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north from December to March
Natural resources coal, iron ore, copper, zinc, phosphate, wildlife, fish small offshore oil deposits, limestone, marble, timber
Net migration rate NA 0.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Political parties and leaders - Alliance of Progress Forces or AFP; African Movement for Democracy and Progress or MADEP [Sefou FAGBOHOUN]; Democratic Renewal Party or PRD [Adrien HOUNGBEDJI]; Impulse for Progress and Democracy or IPD; Key Force or FC; Movement for Development and Solidarity or MDS; Movement for Development by the Culture-Salute Party-Congress of People for Progress Alliance or Alliance MDC-PS-CPP; New Alliance or NA; Rally for Democracy and Progress or RDP; Renaissance Party du Benin or RB [Nicephore SOGLO]; The Star Alliance (Alliance E'toile) [Sacca LAFIA]; Union of Tomorrow's Benin or UBF [Bruno AMOUSSOU]


note: approximately 20 additional minor parties
Political pressure groups and leaders - NA
Population 2,214 (July 2007 est.) 7,862,944


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 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line - 33% (2001 est.)
Population growth rate -0.007% (2007 est.) 2.73% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1 (plus 2 repeaters), shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 9, shortwave 4 (2000)
Railways - total: 578 km


narrow gauge: 578 km 1.000-m gauge (2005)
Religions - indigenous beliefs 50%, Christian 30%, Muslim 20%
Sex ratio NA (2007 est.) at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: probably adequate


domestic: local telephone service


international: country code - 47-790; satellite earth station - 1 of unknown type (for communication with Norwegian mainland only)
general assessment: NA


domestic: fair system of open-wire, microwave radio relay, and cellular connections


international: country code - 229; satellite earth station - 7 (Intelsat-Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable (SAT-3/WASC) provides connectivity to Europe and Asia
Telephones - main lines in use NA 76,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 386,700 (2005)
Television broadcast stations NA 1 (2001)
Terrain wild, rugged mountains; much of high land ice covered; west coast clear of ice about one-half of the year; fjords along west and north coasts mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low mountains
Total fertility rate NA 5.2 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate - NA%
Waterways - 150 km (on River Niger along northern border) (2005)
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