|
Country
|
 Gabon | Thailand |
|
Leader
|

President: Ali Ben Bongo
|

Head of state: Prime minister - elect : Yingluck Shinawatra
|
|
Population
|
1,608,321
| 67,091,089
|
|
Life Expectancy
|
52.290 years
| 73.830 years
|
|
Capital City
|
Libreville
| Bangkok
|
|
Largest city
|
| Libreville (population: 578,156) | Bangkok (population: 5,104,480) |
|
Human Development Index
|
0.729
| 0.786
|
| GDP per capita |
$16,400 US
| $9,500 US
|
|
Literacy Rate
|
63.2%
| 92.6%
|
|
Corruption Perception Index
|
3.1
| 3.5
|
|
Percentage of Women in Parliament
|
16.1%
| 12.7%
|
| Wealthiest Citizens |
NA
| Chaleo Yoovidhya ($3.7bn US)
|
| Unemployment Rate |
21.000%
| 0.700%
|
|
Death Penalty
|
Abolished in practice
| Legal
|
| |
|
Political System
|
republic; multiparty presidential regime
| constitutional monarchy
|
|
Independence date
|
17 August 1960 (from France)
| 1238 (traditional founding date; never colonized)
|
| Religions |
Christian 55%-75%, animist, Muslim less than 1%
| Buddhist 94.6%, Muslim 4.6%, Christian 0.7%, other 0.1% (2000 census)
|
| Languages |
French (official), Fang, Myene, Nzebi, Bapounou/Eschira, Bandjabi
| Thai, English (secondary language of the elite), ethnic and regional dialects
|
| Exports |
crude oil 77%, timber, manganese, uranium (2001)
| textiles and footwear, fishery products, rice, rubber, jewelry, automobiles, computers and electrical appliances
|
| External Debt |
$2,726,000,000 $
| $115,600,000,000 US
|
| Exchange Rate |
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar 441.72 (2008 est.), 481.83 (2007), 522.89 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004)
| baht per US dollar - 33.37 (2008 est.), 34.52 (2007), 37.882 (2006), 40.22 (2005), 40.222 (2004)
|
| Military Budget as percentage of GDP |
0.900%
| 1.800%
|
| Beijing Olympics Medal Count |
0
| 4
|
| Location |
Western Africa, bordering the Atlantic Ocean at the Equator, between Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea
| Southeastern Asia, bordering the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, southeast of Burma
|
| Area |
267,667 km sq
| 513,120 km sq
|
| Coastline |
885 km
| 3,219 km
|
| Climate |
tropical; always hot, humid
| tropical; rainy, warm, cloudy southwest monsoon (mid-May to September); dry, cool northeast monsoon (November to mid-March); southern isthmus always hot and humid
|
|
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