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Compare Solomon Islands (2001) - Sao Tome and Principe (2006)
Compare Solomon Islands (2001) z Sao Tome and Principe (2006)
| Solomon Islands (2001) | Sao Tome and Principe (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 7 provinces and 1 town*; Central, Guadalcanal, Honiara*, Isabel, Makira, Malaita, Temotu, Western; note - there may be two new provinces of Choiseul (Lauru) and Rennell/Bellona and the administrative unit of Honiara may have been abolished | 2 provinces; Principe, Sao Tome
note: Principe has had self-government since 29 April 1995 |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
43.79% (male 107,229; female 103,162) 15-64 years: 53.15% (male 129,315; female 126,021) 65 years and over: 3.06% (male 7,190; female 7,525) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 47.5% (male 46,478/female 45,302)
15-64 years: 48.8% (male 45,631/female 48,661) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 3,368/female 3,973) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | cocoa, beans, coconuts, palm kernels, rice, potatoes, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs; timber; fish | cocoa, coconuts, palm kernels, copra, cinnamon, pepper, coffee, bananas, papayas, beans; poultry; fish |
| Airports | 31 (2000 est.) | 2 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
29 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 18 (2000 est.) |
- |
| Area | total:
28,450 sq km land: 27,540 sq km water: 910 sq km |
total: 1,001 sq km
land: 1,001 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Maryland | more than five times the size of Washington, DC |
| Background | The UK established a protectorate over the Solomon Islands in the 1890s. Some of the bitterest fighting of World War II occurred on these islands. Self-government was achieved in 1976 and independence two years later. Current issues include government deficits, deforestation, and malaria control. | 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 | 34.05 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 40.25 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$147 million expenditures: $168 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.) |
revenues: $26.39 million
expenditures: $59.48 million; including capital expenditures of $54 million (2004 est.) |
| Capital | Honiara | name: Sao Tome
geographic coordinates: 0 12 N, 6 39 E time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical monsoon; few extremes of temperature and weather | tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May) |
| Coastline | 5,313 km | 209 km |
| Constitution | 7 July 1978 | approved March 1990, effective 10 September 1990 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Solomon Islands former: British Solomon Islands |
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 | Solomon Islands dollar (SBD) | - |
| Death rate | 4.27 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 6.47 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $152.4 million (1998) | $318 million (2002) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Solomon Islands (embassy closed July 1993); the ambassador to Papua New Guinea is accredited to the Solomon Islands | 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 | chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires ad interim Jeremiah MANELE chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400L, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 599-6192, 6193 FAX: [1] (212) 661-8925 |
chief of mission: First Secretary Domingos Augusto FERREIRA
chancery: 400 Park Avenue, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10022 telephone: [1] (212) 317-0580 FAX: [1] (212) 935-7348 consulate(s): Atlanta |
| Disputes - international | none | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $47 million (1999 est.), mainly from Japan, Australia, China, and NZ | $200 million in December 2000 under the HIPC program |
| Economy - overview | The bulk of the population depends on agriculture, fishing, and forestry for at least part of their livelihood. Most manufactured goods and petroleum products must be imported. The islands are rich in undeveloped mineral resources such as lead, zinc, nickel, and gold. However, severe ethnic violence, the closing of key business enterprises, and an empty government treasury have led to a continuing economic downslide. Deliveries of crucial fuel supplies (including those for electrical generation) by tankers have become sporadic due to the government's inability to pay and attacks against ships. Telecommunications are threatened by the lack of technical and maintenance staff many of whom have left the country. | 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, and is expected to benefit from an additional round of HIPC debt relief in early 2006, to help bring down the country's $300 million debt burden. In August 2005, Sao Tome signed on to a new 3-year IMF Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility (PRGF) program worth $4.3 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, which are being jointly developed in a 60-40 split with Nigeria. The first production licenses were sold in 2004, though a dispute over licensing with Nigeria delayed Sao Tome's receipt of more than $20 million in signing bonuses for almost a year. Real GDP growth reached 6% in 2004, and also probably in 2005, as a result of increases in public expenditures and oil-related capital investment. |
| Electricity - consumption | 27.9 million kWh (1999) | 13.95 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 30 million kWh (1999) | 15 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Makarakomburu 2,447 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Pico de Sao Tome 2,024 m |
| Environment - current issues | deforestation; soil erosion; much of the surrounding coral reefs are dead or dying | deforestation; soil erosion and exhaustion |
| Environment - international agreements | party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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 | Melanesian 93%, Polynesian 4%, Micronesian 1.5%, European 0.8%, Chinese 0.3%, other 0.4% | 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 | Solomon Islands dollars per US dollar - 5.0968 (November 2000), 5.0864 (2000), 4.8381 (1999), 4.8156 (1998), 3.7169 (1997), 3.5664 (1996) | dobras per US dollar - 9,900.4 (2005), (2004), 9,347.6 (2003), 9,088.3 (2002), 8,842.1 (2001) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Father John LAPLI (since NA 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE (since 1 July 2000); Assistant Prime Minister Nathaniel WAENA (since 1 July 2000); Deputy Prime Minister Allan KEMAKEZA (since 1 July 2000); note - Prime Minister Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU was forced to resign his position in June 2000 following the armed takeover of the capital by elements supporting the opposition parties; Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE, who had been opposition leader, was then elected prime minister at a sitting of National Parliament on 30 June 2000 cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the advice of Parliament for up to five years; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of a majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by Parliament; deputy prime minister appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister from among the members of Parliament |
chief of state: President Fradique DE MENEZES (since 3 September 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Tome Soares da VERA CRUZ (since 21 April 2006) 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 (eligible for a second term); election last held 30 July 2006 (next to be held July 2011); prime minister chosen by the National Assembly and approved by the president election results: Fradique DE MENEZES elected president; percent of vote - Fradique DE MENEZES 60%, Patrice TROVOADA 38.5% |
| Exports | $165 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | timber, fish, palm oil, cocoa, copra | cocoa 80%, copra, coffee, palm oil |
| Exports - partners | Japan 35.5%, other Asian countries 47.3% (1999) | Netherlands 61.1%, Belgium 9.2%, Turkey 5.5%, South Korea 4% (2005) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | divided diagonally by a thin yellow stripe from the lower hoist-side corner; the upper triangle (hoist side) is blue with five white five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern; the lower triangle is green | 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 - $900 million (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
50% industry: 3.5% services: 46.5% (1995) |
agriculture: 16.7%
industry: 14.8% services: 68.4% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 1% (2000 est.) | 6% (2004 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 8 00 S, 159 00 E | 1 00 N, 7 00 E |
| Geography - note | - | the smallest country in Africa; the two main islands form part of a chain of extinct volcanoes and both are fairly mountainous |
| Highways | total:
1,360 km paved: 34 km unpaved: 1,326 km (includes about 800 km of private plantation roads) (1996 est.) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | $152 million (f.o.b., 1999 est.) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | plant and equipment, manufactured goods, food and live animals, fuels, chemicals | machinery and electrical equipment, food products, petroleum products |
| Imports - partners | Australia 38.5%, Singapore 15%, Japan 10.6%, NZ 6.2% (1999) | UK 94.2%, Portugal 2.7%, US 1% (2005) |
| Independence | 7 July 1978 (from UK) | 12 July 1975 (from Portugal) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | NA% |
| Industries | fish (tuna), mining, timber | light construction, textiles, soap, beer, fish processing, timber |
| Infant mortality rate | 24.47 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 41.83 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 43.74 deaths/1,000 live births female: 39.86 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 10% (1999 est.) | 15.2% (2005 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTrO | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ITU, NAM, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 100 sq km (2003) |
| Judicial branch | Court of Appeal | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the National Assembly) |
| Labor force | 26,842 | 35,050 |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA% | note: population mainly engaged in subsistence agriculture and fishing; shortages of skilled workers |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
| Land use | arable land:
1% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 1% forests and woodland: 88% other: 9% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 8.33%
permanent crops: 48.96% other: 42.71% (2005) |
| Languages | Melanesian pidgin in much of the country is lingua franca, English spoken by 1%-2% of population
note: 120 indigenous languages |
Portuguese (official) |
| Legal system | English common law | based on Portuguese legal system and customary law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral National Parliament (50 seats; members elected from single member constituencies by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 6 August 1997 (next to be held by August 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - GNUR 21, PAP 7, NAPSI 5, SILP 4, UP 4, independents 6, other 3 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (55 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 26 March 2006 (next to be held March 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MDFM-PCD 37.2%, MLSTP 28.9%, ADI 20.0%, NR 4.7%, other 9.2%; seats by party - MDFM-PCD 23, MLSTP 19, ADI 12, NR 1 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
71.55 years male: 69.12 years female: 74.1 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 67.31 years
male: 65.73 years female: 68.95 years (2006 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 | Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Papua New Guinea | Western Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, straddling the Equator, west of Gabon |
| Map references | Oceania | Africa |
| Maritime claims | measured from claimed archipelagic baselines
continental shelf: 200 NM 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 (2000 est.) | total: 8 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,527 GRT/29,823 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 1, cargo 7 foreign-owned: 3 (Egypt 1, Greece 1, Lebanon 1) (2006) |
| Military - note | - | Sao Tome and Principe's army is a tiny force with almost no resources 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 initial steps towards the improvement of the army and its focus on realistic security concerns; command is exercised from the president, through the Minister of Defense, to the Chief of the Armed Forces staff (2005) |
| Military branches | no regular military forces; Solomon Islands National Reconnaissance and Surveillance Force; Royal Solomon Islands Police (RSIP) | Armed Forces of Sao Tome and Principe (FASTP): Army, Coast Guard, Presidential Guard (2004) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $581,729 (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 0.8% (2005 est.) |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 7 July (1978) | Independence Day, 12 July (1975) |
| Nationality | noun:
Solomon Islander(s) adjective: Solomon Islander |
noun: Sao Tomean(s)
adjective: Sao Tomean |
| Natural hazards | typhoons, but they are rarely destructive; geologically active region with frequent earth tremors; volcanic activity | NA |
| Natural resources | fish, forests, gold, bauxite, phosphates, lead, zinc, nickel | fish, hydropower |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | there are two main coalitions - Coalition for National Unity, Reconciliation, and Peace or CNURP and Alliance for Change; the CNURP took power on 30 June 2000, it comprises members of the Liberal Party, People's Alliance Party, and the United Party, as well as a number of independents; the Alliance for Change, represents the former government and now is the opposition; in general, Solomon Islands politics is characterized by fluid coalitions; Group for National Unity and Reconciliation or GNUR [leader NA]; Liberal Party [Bartholomew ULUFA'ALU]; National Action Party of Solomon Islands or NAPSI [Francis SAEMALA]; People's Alliance Party or PAP [George LEPPING]; People's Progressive Party [Mannaseh Damukana SOGAVARE]; Solomon Islands Labor Party or SILP [Joses TUHANUKU]; United Party or UP [leader NA] | Democratic Renovation Party [Armindo GRACA]; Force for Change Democratic Movement or MDFM; 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; other small parties |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 480,442 (July 2001 est.) | 193,413 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 54% (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.98% (2001 est.) | 3.15% (2006 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Aola Bay, Honiara, Lofung, Noro, Viru Harbor, Yandina | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 3, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2002) |
| Radios | 57,000 (1997) | - |
| Railways | 0 km | - |
| Religions | Anglican 34%, Roman Catholic 19%, Baptist 17%, United (Methodist/Presbyterian) 11%, Seventh-Day Adventist 10%, other Protestant 5%, indigenous beliefs 4% | Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census) |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2001 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: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | 21 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: adequate facilities
domestic: minimal system international: country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 8,000 (1997) | 7,000 (2004) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 658 (1997) | 12,000 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 0 (1997) | 2 (2002) |
| Terrain | mostly rugged mountains with some low coral atolls | volcanic, mountainous |
| Total fertility rate | 4.65 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 5.62 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | NA% | NA% |
| Waterways | none | - |
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