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Compare Virgin Islands (2003) - Congo, Republic of the (2007)
Compare Virgin Islands (2003) z Congo, Republic of the (2007)
| Virgin Islands (2003) | Congo, Republic of the (2007) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (territory of the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three islands at the second order; Saint Croix, Saint John, Saint Thomas | 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 26% (male 16,685; female 15,794)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 36,241; female 44,157) 65 years and over: 9.5% (male 5,078; female 6,823) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 46.3% (male 885,039/female 873,753)
15-64 years: 50.8% (male 958,992/female 973,445) 65 years and over: 2.9% (male 44,994/female 64,387) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products |
| Airports | 2 (2002) | 31 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 5
over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 7 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 9 (2007) |
| Area | total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km |
total: 342,000 sq km
land: 341,500 sq km water: 500 sq km |
| Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Montana |
| Background | During the 17th century, the archipelago was divided into two territorial units, one English and the other Danish. Sugarcane, produced by slave labor, drove the islands' economy during the 18th and early 19th centuries. In 1917, the US purchased the Danish portion, which had been in economic decline since the abolition of slavery in 1848. | Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government took office in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, and ushered in a period of ethnic and political unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo was once one of Africa's largest petroleum producers, but with declining production it will need to hope for new offshore oil finds to sustain its oil earnings over the long term. |
| Birth rate | 15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 42.16 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $364.4 million
expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.) |
revenues: $3.522 billion
expenditures: $1.932 billion (2006 est.) |
| Capital | Charlotte Amalie | name: Brazzaville
geographic coordinates: 4 15 S, 15 17 E time difference: UTC+1 (six hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November | tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); persistent high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator |
| Coastline | 188 km | 169 km |
| Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | approved by referendum 20 January 2002 |
| Country name | conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies |
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo
conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville) local long form: Republique du Congo local short form: none former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | - |
| Death rate | 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 12.59 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Debt - external | $NA | $5 billion (2000 est.) |
| Dependency status | organized, unincorporated territory of the US with policy relations between the Virgin Islands and the US under the jurisdiction of the Office of Insular Affairs, US Department of the Interior | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (territory of the US) | chief of mission: Ambassador Robert WEISBERG
embassy: NA mailing address: NA telephone: [243] (88) 43608 note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (territory of the US) | chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI
chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500 FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860 |
| Disputes - international | none | Congo hosts about 63,000 refugees from neighboring states, primarily from the Pool border area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $1.449 billion (2005) |
| Economy - overview | Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for more than 70% of GDP and 70% of employment. The islands normally host 2 million visitors a year. The manufacturing sector consists of petroleum refining, textiles, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and watch assembly. The agricultural sector is small, with most food being imported. International business and financial services are a small but growing component of the economy. One of the world's largest petroleum refineries is at Saint Croix. The islands are subject to substantial damage from storms. The government is working to improve fiscal discipline, support construction projects in the private sector, expand tourist facilities, reduce crime, and protect the environment. | The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings through oil-backed loans that have contributed to a growing debt burden and chronic revenue shortfalls. Economic reform efforts have been undertaken with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. However, the reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. Economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty. Recovery of oil prices has boosted the economy's GDP and near-term prospects. In March 2006, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) treatment for Congo. |
| Electricity - consumption | 957.9 million kWh (2001) | 5.272 billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 1.8 billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 6 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | 1.03 billion kWh (2001) | 7.341 billion kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m |
| Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea |
| Ethnic groups | black 78%, white 10%, other 12%
note: West Indian 81% (49% born in the Virgin Islands and 32% born elsewhere in the West Indies), US mainland 13%, Puerto Rican 4%, other 2% |
Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3% |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (Since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) and Lieutenant Governor Vargrave RICHARDS (since NA January 2003) cabinet: NA elections: US president and vice president elected on the same ticket for four-year terms; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms; election last held 5 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2006) election results: Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL reelected governor; percent of vote - Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (Democrat) 50.5%, John de JONGH 24.4% |
chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held in 2009) election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7% |
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds |
| Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | US 35.9%, China 31.4%, Taiwan 9.9%, South Korea 8% (2006) |
| Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
| Flag description | white, with a modified US coat of arms in the center between the large blue initials V and I; the coat of arms shows a yellow eagle holding an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other with a superimposed shield of vertical red and white stripes below a blue panel | divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2001 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 5.6%
industry: 57.1% services: 37.3% (2006 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2001 est.) | 6.1% (2006 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 1 00 S, 15 00 E |
| Geography - note | important location along the Anegada Passage - a key shipping lane for the Panama Canal; Saint Thomas has one of the best natural deepwater harbors in the Caribbean | about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them |
| Highways | total: 856 km
paved: NA km unpaved: NA km note: the only US possession where driving on the left side of the road is practiced (2000) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | France 21.7%, China 12.1%, Zimbabwe 8.3%, US 6.9%, India 6.4%, Italy 5.1%, Belgium 4.8% (2006) |
| Independence | - | 15 August 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 0% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 9 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 10.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.81 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 83.26 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 88.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 77.42 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (1992) | 5.5% (2006 est.) |
| International organization participation | ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIF, OPCW (signatory), UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 50 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 20 sq km (2003) |
| Judicial branch | US District Court of the Virgin Islands (under Third Circuit jurisdiction); Territorial Court (judges appointed by the governor for 10-year terms) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme |
| Labor force | 49,000 (2002 est.) | NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.) | - |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 5,504 km
border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km |
| Land use | arable land: 15%
permanent crops: 6% other: 79% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 1.45%
permanent crops: 0.15% other: 98.4% (2005) |
| Languages | English (official), Spanish, Creole | French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread) |
| Legal system | based on US laws | based on French civil law system and customary law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Senate (15 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Democratic Party 8, ICM NA, no party affiliation NA note: the Virgin Islands elects one non-voting representative to the US House of Representatives; election last held 6 November 2002 (next to be held NA November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected |
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held in 2008); National Assembly - last held 24 June and 5 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PCT 46, MCDDI 11, UPADS 11, MAR 5, MSD 5, independents 37, other 22 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.59 years
male: 74.73 years female: 82.68 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 53.29 years
male: 52.1 years female: 54.52 years (2007 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 83.8% male: 89.6% female: 78.4% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | registered in other countries: 1 (Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1) (2007) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | - |
| Military branches | - | Congolese Armed Forces (Forces Armees Congolaises, FAC): Army, Navy, Congolese Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2007) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 3.1% (2006) |
| National holiday | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) | Independence Day, 15 August (1960) |
| Nationality | noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)
adjective: Congolese or Congo |
| Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | seasonal flooding |
| Natural resources | sun, sand, sea, surf | petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | -3.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | gas 89 km; liquid petroleum gas 4 km; oil 744 km (2006) |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] | Action Movement for Renewal or MAR; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Congolese Labour Party or PCT; Movement for Solidarity and Development or MSD; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]; many less important parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC |
| Population | 124,778 (July 2003 est.) | 3,800,610
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 | 1.02% (2003 est.) | 2.639% (2007 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001) |
| Railways | 0 km | total: 894 km
narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2006) |
| Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.82 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.74 male(s)/female total population: 0.87 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.013 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.985 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.699 male(s)/female total population: 0.988 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: modern, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA |
general assessment: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order; fixed-line infrastructure inadequate providing less than 1 connection per 100 persons; mobile-cellular subscribership has surged reaching 16 per 100 persons
domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 65,000 (1997) | 15,900 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,000 (1992) | 490,000 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 2 (2002) | 1 (2001) |
| Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin |
| Total fertility rate | 2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 5.99 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% (March 1999) | NA% |
| Waterways | none | 1,125 km (commercially navigable on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2006) |
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