Compare Virgin Islands (2003) - Sao Tome and Principe (2005)

Compare Virgin Islands (2003) z Sao Tome and Principe (2005)

	Virgin Islands (2003)	Sao Tome and Principe (2005)

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	2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995
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: 47.6% (male 45,145/female 44,007) 15-64 years: 48.6% (male 43,996/female 47,011) 65 years and over: 3.9% (male 3,333/female 3,918) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle	cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish
Airports	2 (2002)	2 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2002)	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area	total: 352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km	total: 1,001 sq km land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	twice the size of Washington, DC	more than five times the size of Washington, DC
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.	Discovered and claimed by Portugal in the late 15th century, the islands' sugar-based economy gave way to coffee and cocoa in the 19th century - all grown with plantation slave labor, a form of which lingered into the 20th century. Although independence was achieved in 1975, democratic reforms were not instituted until the late 1980s. Though the first free elections were held in 1991, the political environment has been one of continued instability with frequent changes in leadership and coup attempts in 1995 and 2003. The recent discovery of oil in the Gulf of Guinea is likely to have a significant impact on the country's economy.
Birth rate	15.8 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)	40.8 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $364.4 million expenditures: $364.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)	revenues: $27.94 million expenditures: $43.91 million, including capital expenditures of $54 million (2004 est.)
Capital	Charlotte Amalie	Sao Tome
Climate	subtropical, tempered by easterly trade winds, relatively low humidity, little seasonal temperature variation; rainy season May to November	tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Coastline	188 km	209 km
Constitution	Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954	approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990
Country name	conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies	conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe conventional short form: Sao Tome and Principe local long form: Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe local short form: Sao Tome e Principe
Currency	US dollar (USD)	-
Death rate	5.68 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)	6.68 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$NA	$318 million (2002)
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)	the US does not have an embassy in Sao Tome and Principe; the Ambassador to Gabon is accredited to Sao Tome and Principe on a nonresident basis and makes periodic visits to the islands
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (territory of the US)	Sao Tome and Principe does not have an embassy in the US, but does have a Permanent Mission to the UN, headed by First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA, located at 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022, telephone [1] (212) 317-0580
Disputes - international	none	none
Economic aid - recipient	$NA	$200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program
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.	This small poor island economy has become increasingly dependent on cocoa since independence in 1975. Cocoa production has substantially declined in recent years because of drought and mismanagement, but strengthening prices helped boost export earnings in 2003. Sao Tome has to import all fuels, most manufactured goods, consumer goods, and a substantial amount of food. Over the years, it has had difficulty servicing its external debt and has relied heavily on concessional aid and debt rescheduling. Sao Tome benefited from $200 million in debt relief in December 2000 under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program, but lacking a formal poverty reduction program with the IMF, it has not benefited from subsequent HIPC debt reductions. Sao Tome's external debt stands at over $300 million. Considerable potential exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also has attempted to reduce price controls and subsidies. Sao Tome is optimistic about the development of petroleum resources in its territorial waters in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea. The first production license was sold to a consortium led by US-based oil firms. Much of the 2005 budget is dependent upon the sale of additional production licenses.
Electricity - consumption	957.9 million kWh (2001)	15.81 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	1.03 billion kWh (2001)	17 million kWh (2002)
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: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m
Environment - current issues	lack of natural freshwater resources	deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution 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%	mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
Exchange rates	the US dollar is used	dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001), 7,978.2 (2000)
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 Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001) head of government: Prime Minister Maria do Carmo SILVEIRA (since 7 June 2005); Damiao Vaz DE ALMEIDA resigned 2 June 2005 cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president on the proposal of the prime minister elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 29 July 2001 (next to be held July 2006); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president in Sao Tome's third multiparty presidential election; percent of vote - NA%
Exports	NA (2001)	NA
Exports - commodities	refined petroleum products	cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil
Exports - partners	US, Puerto Rico	Netherlands 35.9%, China 12.3%, Belgium 7.4%, Germany 6.3%, Poland 5.1%, France 4.8%, Thailand 4.1% (2004)
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 horizontal bands of green (top), yellow (double width), and green with two black five-pointed stars placed side by side in the center of the yellow band and a red isosceles triangle based on the hoist side; 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: 16.5% industry: 15.4% services: 68.1% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $19,000 (2001 est.)	purchasing power parity - $1,200 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	2% (2001 est.)	6% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 20 N, 64 50 W	1 00 N, 7 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	the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous
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: 320 km paved: 218 km unpaved: 102 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	NA (2001)	NA
Imports - commodities	crude oil, foodstuffs, consumer goods, building materials	machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products
Imports - partners	US, Puerto Rico	Portugal 52.3%, Germany 9.5%, US 6%, Netherlands 4.8%, South Africa 4.3%, Belgium 4.1% (2004)
Independence	-	12 July 1975 (from Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	NA
Industries	tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics	light construction, textiles, soap, beer; fish processing; timber
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: 43.11 deaths/1,000 live births male: 45.06 deaths/1,000 live births female: 41.11 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2% (1992)	14% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	ECLAC (associate), Interpol (subbureau), IOC	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	50 (2000)	-
Irrigated land	NA sq km	100 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 (judges are appointed by the National Assembly)
Labor force	49,000 (2002 est.)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 1%, industry 20%, services 79% (1990 est.)	population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing note: shortages of skilled workers
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 15% permanent crops: 6% other: 79% (1998 est.)	arable land: 6.25% permanent crops: 48.96% other: 44.79% (2001)
Languages	English (official), Spanish, Creole	Portuguese (official)
Legal system	based on US laws	based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; 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	unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 3 March 2002 (next to be held March 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - MLSTP 39.6%, Force for Change Democratic Movement 39.4%, Ue-Kedadji coalition 16.2%; seats by party - MLSTP 24, Force for Change Democratic Movement 23, Ue-Kedadji coalition 8
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 78.59 years male: 74.73 years female: 82.68 years (2003 est.)	total population: 66.99 years male: 65.43 years female: 68.59 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 79.3% male: 85% female: 62% (1991 est.)
Location	Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Puerto Rico	Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Africa
Maritime claims	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM	measured from claimed archipelagic baselines territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	none (2002 est.)	total: 15 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 79,490 GRT/97,077 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 11, chemical tanker 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Egypt 1, Greece 1) (2005)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the US	Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resouces at its disposal and would be wholly ineffective operating unilaterally; infantry equipment is considered simple to operate and maintain but may require refurbishment or replacement after 25 years in tropical climates; poor pay and conditions have been a problem in the past, as has alleged nepotism in the promotion of officers, as reflected in the 1995 and 2003 coups; these issues are being addressed with foreign assistance as intial steps towards the improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is excersized from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005)
Military branches	-	Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$700,000 (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	0.8% (2004)
National holiday	Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)	Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Nationality	noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander	noun: Sao Tomean(s) adjective: Sao Tomean
Natural hazards	several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes	NA
Natural resources	sun, sand, sea, surf	fish, hydropower
Net migration rate	0.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)	-2.51 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]	Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement [leader NA]; Independent Democratic Action or ADI [Carlos NEVES]; Movement for the Liberation of Sao Tome and Principe-Social Democratic Party or MLSTP-PSD [Manuel Pinto Da COSTA]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Aldo BANDEIRA]; Ue-Kedadji coalition [leader NA]; other small parties
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	124,778 (July 2003 est.)	187,410 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	54% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	1.02% (2003 est.)	3.16% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix	Sao Tome
Radio broadcast stations	AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002)
Railways	0 km	-
Religions	Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%	Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)
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: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2005 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: adequate facilities domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	65,000 (1997)	7,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	2,000 (1992)	4,800 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2002)	2 (2002)
Terrain	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land	volcanic, mountainous
Total fertility rate	2.22 children born/woman (2003 est.)	5.71 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	4.9% (March 1999)	NA
Waterways	none	-

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