|
Country
|
Belarus | 
Central African Republic |
|
Leader
|
President: Alexander Lukashenko
|
President: Francois Bozize
|
|
Population
|
9,643,566
| 5,057,208
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
71.480 years
| 50.480 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Minsk
| Bangui
|
|
Largest city
|
| Minsk (population: 1,742,120) | Bangui (population: 542,393) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.817
| 0.352
|
| GDP per capita |
$15,200 US
| $800 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
99.6%
| 48.6%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
2
| 2
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
32.5%
| 10.5%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
|
|
| Unemployment Rate |
1.000%
| 8.000%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Legal
| Abolished in practice
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic in name, although in fact a dictatorship
| republic
|
|
Independence date
|
25 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
| 13 August 1960 (from France)
|
| Religions |
Eastern Orthodox 80%, other (including Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim) 20% (1997 est.)
| indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15%
note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
|
| Languages |
Belarusian, Russian, other
| French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
|
| Exports |
machinery and equipment, mineral products, chemicals, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
| diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
|
| External Debt |
$33,730,000,000 $
| $483,900,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Belarusian rubles (BYB/BYR) per US dollar - 2,130 (2008 est.), 2,145 (2007), 2,144.6 (2006), 2,150 (2005), 2,160.26 (2004)
| Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 438.77 (2008 est.), 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
1.400%
| 0.900%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
19
| 0
|
| Location |
Eastern Europe, east of Poland
| Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
| Area |
207,600 km sq
| 622,984 km sq
|
| Coastline |
0 km
| 0 km
|
| Climate |
cold winters, cool and moist summers; transitional between continental and maritime
| tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
|
|
|
|
