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Compare Virgin Islands (2003) - Gabon (2002)
Compare Virgin Islands (2003) z Gabon (2002)
| Virgin Islands (2003) | Gabon (2002) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | 9 provinces; Estuaire, Haut-Ogooue, Moyen-Ogooue, Ngounie, Nyanga, Ogooue-Ivindo, Ogooue-Lolo, Ogooue-Maritime, Woleu-Ntem |
| 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: 33.3% (male 205,559; female 204,796)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 376,103; female 371,422) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 37,220; female 38,253) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle | cocoa, coffee, sugar, palm oil, rubber; cattle; okoume (a tropical softwood); fish |
| Airports | 2 (2002) | 59 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002) |
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 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 47
1,524 to 2,437 m: 8 914 to 1,523 m: 15 under 914 m: 24 (2002) |
| Area | total: 352 sq km
land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km |
total: 267,667 sq km
land: 257,667 sq km water: 10,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | twice the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than Colorado |
| 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. | Ruled by autocratic presidents since independence from France in 1960, Gabon introduced a multiparty system and a new constitution in the early 1990s that allowed for a more transparent electoral process and for reforms of governmental institutions. A small population, abundant natural resources, and considerable foreign support have helped make Gabon one of the more prosperous black African countries. |
| Birth rate | 15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 27.24 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $364.4 million
expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.) |
revenues: $1.8 billion
expenditures: $1.8 billion, including capital expenditures of $310 million (2002 est.) |
| Capital | Charlotte Amalie | Libreville |
| Climate | subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November | tropical; always hot, humid |
| Coastline | 188 km | 885 km |
| Constitution | Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954 | adopted 14 March 1991 |
| Country name | conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands
conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies |
conventional long form: Gabonese Republic
conventional short form: Gabon local long form: Republique Gabonaise local short form: Gabon |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XAF); note - responsible authority is the Bank of the Central African States |
| Death rate | 5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 17.59 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $NA | $3.6 billion (2001 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 Kenneth P. MOOREFIELD
embassy: Boulevard de la 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 | none (territory of the US) | chief of mission: Ambassador Jules-Darius 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 | none | maritime boundary dispute with Equatorial Guinea because of disputed sovereignty over islands in Corisco Bay |
| Economic aid - recipient | $NA | $331 million (1995) (1995) |
| 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. | Gabon enjoys a per capita income four times that of most nations of sub-Saharan Africa. 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, the economy is hobbled by poor fiscal management. In 1992, the fiscal deficit widened to 2.4% of GDP, and Gabon failed to settle arrears on its bilateral debt, leading to a cancellation of rescheduling agreements with official and private creditors. Devaluation of its Francophone currency by 50% on 12 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 mandate progress in privatization and fiscal discipline. France provided additional financial support in January 1997 after Gabon had 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. |
| Electricity - consumption | 957.9 million kWh (2001) | 790.5 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 1.03 billion kWh (2001) | 850 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
fossil fuel: 29%
hydro: 71% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Iboundji 1,575 m |
| Environment - current issues | lack of natural freshwater resources | deforestation; poaching |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| 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% |
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 | the US dollar is used | Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 742.79 (January 2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000), 615.70 (1999), 589.95 (1998), 583.67 (1997); note - from 1 January 1999, the XAF is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XAF per euro |
| 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 El Hadj Omar BONGO (since 2 December 1967)
head of government: Prime Minister Jean-Francois NTOUTOUME-EMANE (since 23 January 1999) 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; election last held 6 December 1998 (next to be held NA 2005); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President El Hadj Omar BONGO reelected; percent of vote - El Hadj Omar BONGO 66.6%, Pierre MAMBOUNDOU 16.5%, Fr. Paul M'BA-ABESSOLE 13.4% |
| Exports | NA (2001) | $2.5 billion f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Exports - commodities | refined petroleum products | crude oil 81%, timber, manganese, uranium (2000) |
| Exports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | US 51%, France 17%, China 8%, Netherlands Antilles 4% (2000) |
| 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 | three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and blue |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $2.4 billion (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $6.7 billion (2001 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 10%
industry: 60% services: 30% (1999 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5,500 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2% (2001 est.) | 2.5% (2001 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 18 20 N, 64 50 W | 1 00 S, 11 45 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 | 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 |
| 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) |
total: 8,454 km
paved: 838 km (including 30 km of expressways) unpaved: 7,616 km (2000) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | NA (2001) | $921 million f.o.b. (2001 est.) |
| Imports - commodities | crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, construction materials |
| Imports - partners | US, Puerto Rico | France 62%, Cote d'Ivoire 7%, US 5%, Belgium 3% (2000) |
| Independence | - | 17 August 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | -6.4% (2001 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics | food and beverage; textile; lumbering and plywood; cement; petroleum extraction and refining; manganese, and gold mining; chemicals; ship repair |
| 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.) |
93.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (1992) | 1.5% (2001 est.) |
| International organization participation | ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, CCC, CEEAC, CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 50 (2000) | 1 (2001) |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 150 sq km (1998 est.) |
| 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 consisting of three chambers - Judicial, Administrative, and Accounts; Constitutional Court; Courts of Appeal; Court of State Security; County Courts |
| Labor force | 49,000 (2002 est.) | 600,000 600,000 |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.) | agriculture 60%, services and government 25%, industry and commerce 15% |
| 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: 15%
permanent crops: 6% other: 79% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 1.26%
permanent crops: 0.66% other: 98.08% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | English (official), Spanish, Creole | French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi |
| Legal system | based on US laws | 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 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 legislature consists of the Senate (91 seats; members elected by members of municipal councils and departmental assemblies) and the National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (120 seats); members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve five-year terms
elections: National Assembly - last held 9 and 23 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006); Senate - last held 26 January and 9 February 1997 (next to be held in January 2004) election results: National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 86, RNB-RPG 8, PGP 3, ADERE 3, CLR 2, PUP 1, PSD 1, independents 13, others 3; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PDG 53, RNB 20, PGP 4, ADERE 3, RDP 1, CLR 1, independents 9 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.59 years
male: 74.73 years female: 82.68 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 49.11 years
male: 48.01 years female: 50.25 years (2002 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 | Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico | Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | none (2002 est.) | - |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | - |
| Military branches | - | Army, Navy, Air Force, Presidential (Republican) Guard (charged with protecting the president and other senior officials), National Gendarmerie, National Police |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $70.8 million (FY01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 2% (FY01) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 284,358 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 146,908 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 20 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 11,304 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917) | Founding of the Gabonese Democratic Party (PDG), 12 March (1968) |
| Nationality | noun: Virgin Islander(s)
adjective: Virgin Islander |
noun: Gabonese (singular and plural)
adjective: Gabonese |
| Natural hazards | several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes | NA |
| Natural resources | sun, sand, sea, surf | petroleum, manganese, uranium, gold, timber, iron ore, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | 0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | crude oil 270 km; petroleum products 14 km |
| Political parties and leaders | Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE] | African Forum for Reconstruction or FAR [Leon MBOU-YEMBI]; 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, secretary general]; Gabonese Party for Progress or PGP [Pierre-Louis AGONDJO-OKAWE, president]; Gabonese People's Union or UPG [Pierre MAMBOUNDOU]; 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] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 124,778 (July 2003 est.) | 1,233,353
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 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 1.02% (2003 est.) | 0.97% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix | Cap Lopez, Kango, Lambarene, Libreville, Mayumba, Owendo, Port-Gentil |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002) | AM 6, FM 7 (and 11 repeaters), shortwave 4 (2001) |
| Radios | - | 208,000 (1997) |
| Railways | 0 km | total: 649 km
standard gauge: 649 km 1.435-m gauge; single-track (2001) |
| Religions | Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7% | Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1% |
| 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 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; note - indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 21 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: adequate service by African standards and improving with the help of the growing mobile cell system
domestic: adequate system of cable, microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, radiotelephone communication stations, and a domestic satellite system with 12 earth stations international: satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); fiber optic submarine cable to be in service in 2002 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 65,000 (1997) | 39,000 (1998) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 2,000 (1992) | 120,000 (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 2 (2002) | 4 (plus four low-powered repeaters) (2001) |
| Terrain | mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land | narrow coastal plain; hilly interior; savanna in east and south |
| Total fertility rate | 2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 3.65 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% (March 1999) | 21% (1997 est.) |
| Waterways | none | 1,600 km (perennially navigable) |
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