Compare Virgin Islands (2004) - Equatorial Guinea (2006)

Compare Virgin Islands (2004) z Equatorial Guinea (2006)

	Virgin Islands (2004)	Equatorial Guinea (2006)

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	7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Annobon, Bioko Norte, Bioko Sur, Centro Sur, Kie-Ntem, Litoral, Wele-Nzas
Age structure	0-14 years: 23.8% (male 13,116; female 12,770) 15-64 years: 66% (male 33,944; female 37,870) 65 years and over: 10.2% (male 4,855; female 6,220) (2004 est.)	0-14 years: 41.7% (male 113,083/female 111,989) 15-64 years: 54.5% (male 141,914/female 152,645) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 8,886/female 11,592) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruit, vegetables, sorghum; Senepol cattle	coffee, cocoa, rice, yams, cassava (tapioca), bananas, palm oil nuts; livestock; timber
Airports	2 (2003 est.)	4 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2004 est.)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006)
Area	total: 352 sq km land: 349 sq km water: 3 sq km	total: 28,051 sq km land: 28,051 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	twice the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than Maryland
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.	Equatorial Guinea gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule. This tiny country, composed of a mainland portion plus five inhabited islands, is one of the smallest on the African continent. President Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO has ruled the country since 1979 when he seized power in a coup. Although nominally a constitutional democracy since 1991, the 1996 and 2002 presidential elections - as well as the 1999 and 2004 legislative elections - were widely seen as flawed. The president exerts almost total control over the political system and has discouraged political opposition. Equatorial Guinea has experienced rapid economic growth due to the discovery of large offshore oil reserves, and in the last decade has become Sub-Saharan Africa's third largest oil exporter. Despite the country's economic windfall from oil production resulting in a massive increase in government revenue in recent years, there have been few improvements in the population's living standards.
Birth rate	14.49 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)	35.59 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	revenues: $560 expenditures: NA (2003)	revenues: $1.973 billion expenditures: $711.5 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital	Charlotte Amalie	name: Malabo geographic coordinates: 3 45 N, 8 47 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 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; always hot, humid
Coastline	188 km	296 km
Constitution	Revised Organic Act of 22 July 1954	approved by national referendum 17 November 1991; amended January 1995
Country name	conventional long form: United States Virgin Islands conventional short form: Virgin Islands former: Danish West Indies	conventional long form: Republic of Equatorial Guinea conventional short form: Equatorial Guinea local long form: Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial/Republique de Guinee equatoriale local short form: Guinea Ecuatorial/Guinee equatoriale former: Spanish Guinea
Currency	US dollar (USD)	-
Death rate	6.1 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)	15.06 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	NA	$353 million (2005 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: the US ambassador to Cameroon is accredited to Equatorial Guinea embassy: adjacent to the golf course at the base of Mont Febe; note - relocated embassy is opened for limited functions; inquiries should continue to be directed to the US Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroon mailing address: B.P. 817, Yaounde, Cameroon; US Embassy Yaounde, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520 telephone: [237] 220 15 00 FAX: [237] 220 16 20
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (territory of the US)	chief of mission: Ambassador Purificacion ANGUE ONDO chancery: 2020 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 518-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 518-5252
Disputes - international	none	in 2002, ICJ ruled on an equidistance settlement of Cameroon-Equatorial Guinea-Nigeria maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, but a dispute between Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon over an island at the mouth of the Ntem River, imprecisely defined maritime coordinates in the ICJ decision, and the unresolved Bakasi allocation contribute to the delay in implementation; UN has been pressing Equatorial Guinea and Gabon to pledge to resolve the sovereignty dispute over Gabon-occupied Mbane Island and create a maritime boundary in the hydrocarbon-rich Corisco Bay
Economic aid - recipient	NA	$33.8 million $NA
Economy - overview	Tourism is the primary economic activity, accounting for 80% of GDP and 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, to support construction projects in the private sector, to expand tourist facilities, to reduce crime, and to protect the environment.	The discovery and exploitation of large oil reserves have contributed to dramatic economic growth in recent years. Forestry, farming, and fishing are also major components of GDP. Subsistence farming predominates. Although pre-independence Equatorial Guinea counted on cocoa production for hard currency earnings, the neglect of the rural economy under successive regimes has diminished potential for agriculture-led growth (the government has stated its intention to reinvest some oil revenue into agriculture). A number of aid programs sponsored by the World Bank and the IMF have been cut off since 1993, because of corruption and mismanagement. No longer eligible for concessional financing because of large oil revenues, the government has been trying to agree on a "shadow" fiscal management program with the World Bank and IMF. Businesses, for the most part, are owned by government officials and their family members. Undeveloped natural resources include titanium, iron ore, manganese, uranium, and alluvial gold. Growth remained strong in 2005, led by oil. Equatorial Guinea now has the second highest per capita income in the world, after Luxembourg.
Electricity - consumption	957.9 million kWh (2001)	27.37 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2001)	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	1.03 billion kWh (2001)	29.43 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m highest point: Crown Mountain 474 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Pico Basile 3,008 m
Environment - current issues	lack of natural freshwater resources	tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, 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%	Bioko (primarily Bubi, some Fernandinos), Rio Muni (primarily Fang), Europeans less than 1,000, mostly Spanish
Exchange rates	the US dollar is used	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001)
Executive branch	chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001) head of government: Governor Dr. Charles Wesley TURNBULL (since 5 January 1999) 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 Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO (since 3 August 1979 when he seized power in a military coup) head of government: Prime Minister Ricardo Mangue Obama NFUBEA (since 14 August 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Mercelino Oyono NTUTUMU (since 15 June 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 15 December 2002 (next to be held December 2009); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president election results: Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO reelected president; percent of vote - Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO 97.1%, Celestino Bonifacio BACALE 2.2%; elections marred by widespread fraud
Exports	NA (2001)	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	refined petroleum products	petroleum, methanol, timber, cocoa
Exports - partners	US, Puerto Rico	US 25.8%, China 22.9%, Spain 11.4%, Canada 7.7%, Taiwan 7.5%, Portugal 5.7%, Netherlands 5.5%, France 4.2% (2005)
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), white, and red with a blue isosceles triangle based on the hoist side and the coat of arms centered in the white band; the coat of arms has six yellow six-pointed stars (representing the mainland and five offshore islands) above a gray shield bearing a silk-cotton tree and below which is a scroll with the motto UNIDAD, PAZ, JUSTICIA (Unity, Peace, Justice)
GDP	purchasing power parity - $2.5 billion (2002 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 1% industry: 19% services: 80% (2003 est.)	agriculture: 3% industry: 90.6% services: 6.2% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $17,200 (2002 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	2% (2002 est.)	18.6% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	18 20 N, 64 50 W	2 00 N, 10 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	insular and continental regions widely separated
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	petroleum sector equipment, other equipment
Imports - partners	US, Puerto Rico	US 24.6%, Italy 20.7%, France 12.1%, Spain 10.8%, Cote d'Ivoire 8.7%, UK 7% (2005)
Independence	-	12 October 1968 (from Spain)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	30% (2002 est.)
Industries	tourism, petroleum refining, watch assembly, rum distilling, construction, pharmaceuticals, textiles, electronics	petroleum, fishing, sawmilling, natural gas
Infant mortality rate	total: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 9.31 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)	total: 89.21 deaths/1,000 live births male: 95.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 83.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	2.2% (2003)	5% (2005 est.)
International organization participation	Interpol (subbureau), IOC, UPU	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WToO, WTO (observer)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	NA
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 Tribunal
Labor force	48,900 (2003 est.)	NA
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 1%, industry 19%, services 80% (2003 est.)	-
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 539 km border countries: Cameroon 189 km, Gabon 350 km
Land use	arable land: 11.76% permanent crops: 2.94% other: 85.29% (2001)	arable land: 4.63% permanent crops: 3.57% other: 91.8% (2005)
Languages	English (official), Spanish, Creole	Spanish (official), French (official), pidgin English, Fang, Bubi, Ibo
Legal system	based on US laws	partly based on Spanish civil law and tribal custom
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 2 November 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Democratic Party 10, ICM 2, independent 3 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 2 November 2004); results - Donna M. CHRISTIAN-CHRISTENSON (Democrat) reelected	unicameral House of People's Representatives or Camara de Representantes del Pueblo (100 seats; members directly elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 25 April 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PDGE 98, CPDS 2 note: Parliament has little power since the constitution vests all executive authority in the president
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 78.75 years male: 74.91 years female: 82.82 years (2004 est.)	total population: 49.54 years male: 48 years female: 51.13 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 85.7% male: 93.3% 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 Bight of Biafra, between Cameroon and Gabon
Map references	Central America and the Caribbean	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	none	total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,745 GRT/3,434 DWT by type: cargo 1 (2006)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the US	-
Military branches	-	Army, Navy, Air Force (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$152.2 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	2.1% (2005 est.)
National holiday	Transfer Day (from Denmark to the US), 27 March (1917)	Independence Day, 12 October (1968)
Nationality	noun: Virgin Islander(s) adjective: Virgin Islander	noun: Equatorial Guinean(s) or Equatoguinean(s) adjective: Equatorial Guinean or Equatoguinean
Natural hazards	several hurricanes in recent years; frequent and severe droughts and floods; occasional earthquakes	violent windstorms, flash floods
Natural resources	sun, sand, sea, surf	petroleum, natural gas, timber, gold, bauxite, diamonds, tantalum, sand and gravel, clay
Net migration rate	-8.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines	-	condensate 46 km; condensate/gas 5 km; gas 47 km; oil 31 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders	Democratic Party [Arturo WATLINGTON]; Independent Citizens' Movement or ICM [Usie RICHARDS]; Republican Party [Gary SPRAUVE]	Convergence Party for Social Democracy or CPDS [Placido MIKO Abogo]; Democratic Party for Equatorial Guinea or PDGE [Teodoro OBIANG NGUEMA MBASOGO] (ruling party); Party for Progress of Equatorial Guinea or PPGE [Severo MOTO]; Popular Action of Equatorial Guinea or APGE [Miguel Esono EMAN]; Popular Union or UP [Andres Moises Bda ADA]; Progressive Democratic Alliance or ADP [Victorino Bolekia BONAY]; Union of Independent Democrats of UDI [Daniel OYONO]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	NA
Population	108,775 (July 2004 est.)	540,109 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	-0.05% (2004 est.)	2.05% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors	Charlotte Amalie, Christiansted, Cruz Bay, Port Alucroix	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 5, FM 11, shortwave 0 (2002)	AM 0, FM 3, shortwave 5 (2002)
Religions	Baptist 42%, Roman Catholic 34%, Episcopalian 17%, other 7%	nominally Christian and predominantly Roman Catholic, pagan practices
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2004 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal; note - island residents are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections	18 years of age; universal adult
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: modern system with total digital switching, uses fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay international: country code - 1-340; submarine cable and satellite communications; satellite earth stations - NA	general assessment: poor system with adequate government services domestic: NA international: country code - 240; international communications from Bata and Malabo to African and European countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	69,400 (2002)	10,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	41,000 (2002)	96,900 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	2 (2002)	1 (2002)
Terrain	mostly hilly to rugged and mountainous with little level land	coastal plains rise to interior hills; islands are volcanic
Total fertility rate	2.21 children born/woman (2004 est.)	4.55 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	9.3% (2003 est.)	30% (1998 est.)

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