258 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
258 lines
21 KiB
Plaintext
BENIN
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 112,620 km2; land area: 110,620 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than Pennsylvania
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Land boundaries: 1,989 km total; Burkina 306 km, Niger 266 km,
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Nigeria 773 km, Togo 644 km
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Coastline: 121 km
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Maritime claims:
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Territorial sea: 200 nm
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Climate: tropical; hot, humid in south; semiarid in north
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Terrain: mostly flat to undulating plain; some hills and low
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mountains
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Natural resources: small offshore oil deposits, limestone,
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marble, timber
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Land use: arable land 12%; permanent crops 4%; meadows and pastures
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4%; forest and woodland 35%; other 45%, includes irrigated NEGL%
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Environment: hot, dry, dusty harmattan wind may affect north in
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winter; deforestation; desertification
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Note: recent droughts have severely affected marginal
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agriculture in north; no natural harbors
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PEOPLE
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Population: 4,831,823 (July 1991), growth rate 3.3% (1991)
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Birth rate: 49 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 16 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 0 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 119 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 49 years male, 52 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 7.0 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Beninese (sing., pl.); adjective--Beninese
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Ethnic divisions: African 99% (42 ethnic groups, most important
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being Fon, Adja, Yoruba, Bariba); Europeans 5,500
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Religion: indigenous beliefs 70%, Muslim 15%, Christian 15%
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Language: French (official); Fon and Yoruba most common
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vernaculars in south; at least six major tribal languages in north
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Literacy: 23% (male 32%, female 16%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1990 est.)
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Labor force: 1,900,000 (1987); agriculture 60%, transport,
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commerce, and public services 38%, industry less than 2%; 49% of
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population of working age (1985)
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Organized labor: about 75% of wage earners
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Republic of Benin
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Type: dropped Marxism-Leninism December 1989; democratic reforms
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adopted February 1990; transition to multiparty system completed 4
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April 1991
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Capital: Porto-Novo (official), Cotonou (de facto)
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Administrative divisions: 6 provinces; Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou,
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Mono, Oueme, Zou
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Independence: 1 August 1960 (from France; formerly Dahomey)
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Constitution: 2 December 1990
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Legal system: based on French civil law and customary law; has not
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accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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National holiday: National Day, 1 August (1990)
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Executive branch: president, cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly (Assemblee
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Nationale)
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Judicial branch: Supreme Court (Cour Supreme)
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Leaders:
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Chief of State and Head of Government--President Nicephore
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SOGLO (since 4 April 1991)
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Political parties and leaders: the People's Revolutionary Party
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of Benin (PRPB) headed by President Mathieu KEREKOU, chairman of
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the Central Committee, was dissolved 30 April 1990;
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Alliance of the Democratic Union for the Forces of Progress (UDFP),
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Timothee ADANLIN;
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Movement for Democracy and Social Progress (MDPS), Jean-Roger AHOYO; and
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the Union for Liberty and Development (ULD), Marcellin DEGBE;
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Alliance of the National Party for Democracy and Development (PNDD) and
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the Democratic Renewal Party (PRD), Pascal Chabi KAO;
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Alliance of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and the National Union
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for Solidarity and Progress (UNSP), Bruno AMOUSSOU;
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Our Common Cause (NCC), Albert TEVEODJRE;
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National Rally for Democracy (RND), Joseph KEKE;
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Alliance of the National Movement for Democracy and Development (MNDD);
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Movement for Solidarity, Union, and Progress (MSUP);
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and Union for Democracy and National Reconstruction (UDRN), Bertin BORNA;
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Union for Democracy and National Solidarity (UDS), Mama Amadou N'DIAYE;
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Assembly of Liberal Democrats for National Reconstruction (RDL),
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Severin ADJOVI;
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Alliance of the Alliance for Social Democracy (ASD) and Bloc for
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Social Democracy (BSD), Robert DOSSOU;
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Alliance of the Alliance for Democracy and Progress (ADP) and
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Democratic Union for Social Renewal (UDRS), Bio Gado Seko N'GOYE;
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National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP), Robert TAGNON;
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numerous other small parties
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Suffrage: universal at age 18
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Elections:
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President--last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held
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March 1996);
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results--Nicephore SOGLO 68%, Mathieu KEREKOU 32%;
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National Assembly--last held 10 and 24 March 1991 (next to be held
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March 1996);
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results--NA percent of the vote;
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seats--(64 total) UDFP-MDPS-ULD 12, PNDD/PRD 9, PSD/UNSP 8, NCC 7,
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RND 7, MNDD/MSUP/UDRN 6, UDS 5, RDL 4, ASD/BSD 3, ADP/UDRS 2, UNDP 1
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Communists: Communist Party of Dahomey (PCD) remains active
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Member of: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, CEAO, ECA, ECOWAS, Entente, FAO, FZ,
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G-77, GATT, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT,
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INTERPOL, IOC, ITU, LORCS, NAM, OAU, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
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WADB, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation: Ambassador Candide AHOUANSOU; Charge
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d'Affaires Corneille MEHISSOU; Chancery at 2737 Cathedral Avenue NW,
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Washington DC 20008; telephone (202) 232-6656;
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US--Ambassador Harriet ISOM; Embassy at Rue Caporal Anani Bernard,
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Cotonou (mailing address is B. P. 2012, Cotonou); telephone 229
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30-06-50
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Flag: two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and red with a
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vertical green band on the hoist side
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Benin is one of the least developed countries in the
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world because of limited natural resources and a poorly developed
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infrastructure. Agriculture accounts for almost 40% of GDP, employs
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about 60% of the labor force, and generates a major share of foreign
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exchange earnings. The industrial sector contributes only about 15% to
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GDP and employs 2% of the work force. Persistently low prices in recent
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years have limited hard currency earnings from Benin's major exports of
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agricultural products and crude oil.
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GDP: $2.0 billion, per capita $400; real growth rate 2.6% (1990)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 3.0% (1990)
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Unemployment: NA%
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Budget: revenues $194 million; expenditures $390 million, including
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capital expenditures of $104 million (1990 est.)
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Exports: $250 million (f.o.b., 1989 est.);
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commodities--crude oil, cotton, palm products, cocoa;
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partners--FRG 36%, France 16%, Spain 14%, Italy 8%, UK 4%
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Imports: $442 million (f.o.b., 1990 est.);
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commodities--foodstuffs, beverages, tobacco, petroleum products,
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intermediate goods, capital goods, light consumer goods;
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partners--France 34%, Netherlands 10%, Japan 7%, Italy 6%, US 4%
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External debt: $1.0 billion (December 1990 est.)
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Industrial production: growth rate - 0.7% (1988); accounts for
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30% of GDP
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Electricity: 28,000 kW capacity; 24 million kWh produced,
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5 kWh per capita (1989)
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Industries: textiles,cigarettes, construction materials,
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beverages, food production, petroleum
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Agriculture: small farms produce 90% of agricultural output;
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production is dominated by food crops--corn, sorghum, cassava, beans,
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and rice; cash crops include cotton, palm oil, and peanuts; poultry
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and livestock output has not kept up with consumption
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Economic aid: US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-89), $46
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million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
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(1970-88), $1.1 billion; OPEC bilateral aid (1979-89), $19 million;
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Communist countries (1970-89), $101 million
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Currency: Communaute Financiere Africaine franc
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(plural--francs); 1 CFA franc (CFAF) = 100 centimes
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Exchange rates: Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (CFAF)
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per US$1--256.54 (January 1991), 272.26 (1990), 319.01 (1989),
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297.85 (1988), 300.54 (1987), 346.30 (1986), 449.26 (1985)
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Railroads: 578 km, all 1.000-meter gauge, single track
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Highways: 5,050 km total; 920 km paved, 2,600 laterite, 1,530 km
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improved earth
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Inland waterways: navigable along small sections, important
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only locally
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Ports: Cotonou
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Civil air: 3 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 6 total, 4 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: fair system of open wire, submarine cable, and
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radio relay; 16,200 telephones; stations--2 AM, 2 FM, 1 TV; 1 Atlantic
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Ocean INTELSAT satellite earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: People's Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force),
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National Gendarmerie, People's Militia, Presidential Guard
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Manpower availability: eligible 15-49, 2,089,646; of the 991,278
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males 15-49, 507,482 are fit for military service; of the 1,098,368
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females 15-49, 554,454 are fit for military service; about 57,106 males
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and 55,297 females reach military age (18) annually; both sexes are
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liable for military service
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Defense expenditures: $38 million, 2.3% of GDP (1988)
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