I'M INVINCIBLE! (... and more Fun Facts!)

I must say, upon leaving the Travel Medicine Centre, I kind of felt invincible. Bring on the bugs, bring on the medical crisis... I CAN TAKE IT! (or don't - no, really, please don't.)

Vaccinations:

Yellow Fever, 27 November 2008, Dr. F. Philip Scappatura, valid 10 days after vaccination, 07 December 2008, valid for 10 years, 07 December 2018.

Meningococcal ACYW135

Vivaxim (HepA-Typhoid)

Tetanus-diphtheria (had it already, good for 10 years)

Hepatitis B (had it already)

Malaria... oh Malaria. The Malaria meds cost me over $900. I have to take a pill every day for 5 months, and for 2 weeks when I get back. I'm taking the most expensive kind, Malarone, because I'll be gone so long... and well, the cheaper kind... the kind you take once a week... side effects include suicidal ideation. yyyyya. No thanks.

To find out more about Africa's diseases, check out the World Health Organization's (WHO) website on Africa.

You can also check out the Country Profile specific to Benin. The data is all from 2000-2004 though. Actually, I much prefer the CIA's World Factbook.


Let's do some World Factbook comparing!! MORE FUN FACTS!

Canada vs. Benin

Canada - Area:
total: 9,984,670 sq km
land: 9,093,507 sq km
water: 891,163 sq km

Benin - Area:
total: 112,620 sq km (fits into Ontario 9.5 times)
land: 110,620 sq km
water: 2,000 sq km


Canada - Population: 33,212,696 (July 2008 est.)
Benin - Population: 8,532,547 (July 2008 est.)
est. stands for estimate, btw.


Canada - Age structure:
0-14 years: 16.3% (male 2,780,491/female 2,644,276)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 11,547,354/female 11,300,639)
65 years and over: 14.9% (male 2,150,991/female 2,788,945) (2008 est.)

Benin - Age structure:
0-14 years: 45.5% (male 1,978,897/female 1,901,005)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 2,195,667/female 2,236,458)
65 years and over: 2.6% (male 91,213/female 129,307) (2008 est.)

HOLY MOLY HALF THE POPULATION IS UNDER THE AGE OF 15.


Canada - Median age:
total: 40.1 years
male: 39 years
female: 41.2 years (2008 est.)

Benin - Median age:
total: 17.1 years
male: 16.7 years
female: 17.6 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:
Canada: 1.57 children born/woman (2008 est.) vs 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births
Benin: 5.58 children born/woman (2008 est.) vs 66.2 deaths/1,000 live births

HIV/AIDS - adult (15-49) prevalence rate:
Canada: 0.3% (2003 est.)
Benin: 1.9% (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
Canada: 56,000 (2003 est.)
Benin: 68,000 (2003 est.)
(take into consideration that Benin has a quarter of Canada's population)

HIV/AIDS - deaths (in a calendar year):
Canada: 1,500 (2003 est.)
Benin: 5,800 (2003 est.)


Canada - Ethnic groups:
British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%, other European 15%, Amerindian 2%, other, mostly Asian, African, Arab 6%, mixed background 26%

Benin - Ethnic groups:
Fon and related 39.2%, Adja and related 15.2%, Yoruba and related 12.3%, Bariba and related 9.2%, Peulh and related 7%, Ottamari and related 6.1%, Yoa-Lokpa and related 4%, Dendi and related 2.5%, other 1.6% (includes Europeans), unspecified 2.9% (2002 census)


Canada - Religions:
Roman Catholic 42.6%, Protestant 23.3% (including United Church 9.5%, Anglican 6.8%, Baptist 2.4%, Lutheran 2%), other Christian 4.4%, Muslim 1.9%, other and unspecified 11.8%, none 16% (2001 census)

Benin - Religions:
Christian 42.8% (Catholic 27.1%, Celestial 5%, Methodist 3.2%, other Protestant 2.2%, other 5.3%), Muslim 24.4%, Vodoun 17.3%, other 15.5% (2002 census)


Canada - Languages:
English (official) 59.3%, French (official) 23.2%, other 17.5%

Benin - Languages:
French (official), Fon and Yoruba (most common vernaculars in south), tribal languages (at least six major ones in north)


Canada - Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99%
male: 99%
female: 99% (2003 est.) GO TEAM CANADA!

Benin - Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 34.7%
male: 47.9%
female: 23.3% (2002 census) :sad face:


Canada - School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 17 years
male: 17 years
female: 17 years (2004)

Benin - School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 7 years
male: 9 years
female: 6 years (2001)


Education expenditures (or how much we spend on education):
Canada: 5.2% of GDP (2002)
Benin: 4.4% of GDP (2004)

but wait! let's compare GDPs:

Canada's GDP: $1.271 trillion (2007 est.)
Benin's GDP: $12 billion (2007 est.)

So, Canada spends about $66 092 000 000
And Benin spends about $528 000 000

Let's also compare by saying that the Ontario Government increased Grants for Student Needs (GSN) funding to school boards by more than $400 million in 2006-07 to $17.3 billion. (source)


Canada - Administrative divisions:
10 provinces and 3 territories*; Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories*, Nova Scotia, Nunavut*, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Yukon Territory*

Benin - Administrative divisions:
12 departments; Alibori, Atakora, Atlantique, Borgou, Collines, Kouffo, Donga, Littoral, Mono, Oueme, Plateau, Zou


Telephones - main lines in use:
Canada: 21 million (2006)
Benin: 110,300 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:
Canada: 18.749 million (2006)
Benin: 1.895 million (2007)

Telephone system:
Canada - general assessment: excellent service provided by modern technology.
Benin - general assessment: inadequate; fixed-line network characterized by aging, deteriorating equipment with fixed-line teledensity stuck at 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular telephone subscribership is increasing.
-----------------

Alright, enough comparing. We all know Canada's awesome... and still - it's never enough.