Overview:
The economy has remained dependent on cocoa since the country gained
independence nearly 15 years ago. Since then, however, cocoa
production has gradually deteriorated because of drought and
mismanagement, so that by 1987 output had fallen to less than 50% of
its former levels. As a result, a shortage of cocoa for export has
created a serious balance-of-payments problem. Production of less
important crops, such as coffee, copra, and palm kernels, has also
declined. The value of imports generally exceeds that of exports by a
ratio of 4:1. The emphasis on cocoa production at the expense of other
food crops has meant that Sao Tome has to import 90% of food needs. It
also has to import all fuels and most manufactured goods. Over the
years, Sao Tome has been unable to service its external debt, which
amounts to roughly 80% of export earnings. Considerable potential
exists for development of a tourist industry, and the government has
taken steps to expand facilities in recent years. The government also
implemented a Five-Year Plan covering 1986-90 to restructure the
economy and reschedule external debt service payments in cooperation
with the International Development Association and Western lenders.
National product:
GDP - exchange rate conversion - $50 million (1990)
National product real growth rate:
1.5% (1992 est.)
National product per capita:
$450 (1990)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
27% (1992 est.)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$10.2 million
expenditures:
$36.8 million, including capital expenditures of $22.5 million (1989
est.)
Exports:
$5.4 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
cocoa 78%, copra, coffee, palm oil
partners:
Netherlands, Germany, China, Portugal
Imports:
$31.5 million (f.o.b., 1992 est.)
commodities:
machinery and electrical equipment 44%, food products 18%, petroleum
11%
partners:
Portugal, Japan, Spain, France, Angola
External debt:
$163.6 million (1992)
Industrial production:
growth rate 1% (1991); accounts for 7% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
5,000 kW
production:
10 million kWh
consumption per capita:
80 kWh (1991)
Industries:
light construction, shirts, soap, beer, fisheries, shrimp processing
Agriculture:
accounts for 25% of GDP; dominant sector of economy, primary source of
exports; cash crops - cocoa (85%), coconuts, palm kernels, coffee;
food products - bananas, papaya, beans, poultry, fish; not
self-sufficient in food grain and meat
Economic aid:
recipient:
US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $8 million; Western
(non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $89
million
Currency:
1 dobra (Db) = 100 centimos
Exchange rates:
dobras (Db) per US$1 - 129.59 (1 July 1993), 230 (1992), 260.0
(November 1991), 122.48 (December 1988), 72.827 (1987), 36.993 (1986)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
@Sao Tome and Principe, Communications
Highways:
total:
300 km
paved:
200 km
unpaved:
100 km
note:
roads on Principe are mostly unpaved and in need of repair
Ports:
Sao Tome, Santo Antonio
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,096 GRT/1,105 DWT
Airports:
total:
2
usable:
2
with permanent-surface runways:
2
with runways over 3,659 m:
0
with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
0
with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
2
Telecommunications:
minimal system; broadcast stations - 1 AM, 2 FM, no TV; 1 Atlantic
Ocean INTELSAT earth station
@Sao Tome and Principe, Defense Forces
Branches:
Army, Navy, National Police
Manpower availability:
males age 15-49 32,560; fit for military service 17,136
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
@Saudi Arabia, Geography
Location:
Middle East, between the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf
Map references:
Africa, Middle East, Standard Time Zones of the World
Area:
total area:
1,960,582 sq km
land area:
1,960,582 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than one-fourth the size of the US
Land boundaries:
total 4,415 km, Iraq 814 km, Jordan 728 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676
km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km
Coastline:
2,640 km
Maritime claims:
contiguous zone:
18 nm
continental shelf:
not specified
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
large section of boundary with Yemen not defined; status of boundary
with UAE not final; Kuwaiti ownership of Qaruh and Umm al Maradim
islands is disputed by Saudi Arabia
Climate:
harsh, dry desert with great extremes of temperature
Terrain:
mostly uninhabited, sandy desert
Natural resources:
petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper
Land use:
arable land:
1%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
39%
forest and woodland:
1%
other:
59%
Irrigated land:
4,350 sq km (1989 est.)
Environment:
current issues:
desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of
perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the
development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal
pollution from oil spills
natural hazards:
frequent sand and dust storms
international agreements:
party to - Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection; signed, but not
ratified - Law of the Sea
Note:
extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great
leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and
Suez Canal
@Saudi Arabia, People
Population:
18,196,783 (July 1994 est.)
note:
the population figure is consistent with a 3.24% growth rate; a 1992
census gives the number of Saudi citizens as 12,304,835 and the number
of residents who are not citizens as 4,624,459
Population growth rate:
3.24% (1994 est.)
Birth rate:
38.25 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Death rate:
5.83 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Net migration rate:
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
52.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
67.91 years
male:
66.25 years
female:
69.65 years (1994 est.)
Total fertility rate:
6.67 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Saudi(s)
adjective:
Saudi or Saudi Arabian
Ethnic divisions:
Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10%
Religions:
Muslim 100%
Languages:
Arabic
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1990 est.)
total population:
62%
male:
73%
female:
48%
Labor force:
5 million-6 million
by occupation:
government 34%, industry and oil 28%, services 22%, agriculture 16%
@Saudi Arabia, Government