unep logo

A.4. Country-specific documentation

This appendix lists the data sources used to estimatethe population figures in the GIS database and other relevantinformation pertaining to the demographic estimates and GIS datasets. The data for the nineteen West African countries have beenestimated by Benoit Ninnin for the West Africa Long Term PerspectiveStudy (WALTPS) carried out by the Club du Sahel/OECD (see Ninnin1994). All other figures have been estimated by the author atNCGIA. Unless otherwise stated the administrative boundariesare the same as those in the African Data Sampler (WRI 1995) orin the WALTPS database (see Brunner et al 1995).

Djibouti

  1. International Database, US Census Bureau, InternationalPrograms Center, digital file, undated.
  2. Thompson, V. and R. Adloff (1968), Djibouti andthe Horn of Africa, Stanford University Press, Stanford.
  3. Republique de Djibouti (1989), Annuaire Statistiquede Djibouti, Direction Nationale de la Staistique

Pop estimates were available only for the five districts/cercles(boundaries are available for 11 second level administrative units).

P60-90 based on 1967 population from 2) and 1979population from 3). No recent information was available. Despitethe scarce information base, the total country estimates matchthe UN estimates for 1960-90 very well.

Boundary data set updated using maps published inthe census publications.

Egypt

  1. Arab Republic of Egypt (1981), Statistical Yearbookof Egypt 1981, Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics,Cairo.
  2. Data for the 1986 census, digital file, POPMAPapplication produced by Egyptian Statistical Office in collaborationwith the UN Software Development Project (UNSD/DESIPA)
  3. Arab Republic of Egypt (1991), Statistical Yearbookof Egypt 1991, Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics,Cairo.
  4. Arab Republic of Egypt (1993), Statistical Yearbookof Egypt 1993, Central Agency for Mobilization and Statistics,Cairo.

Population figures were available for 1960, 66, 76,86 and 92 (estimates). For 1960-76, the total national populationand the share of the governates population of the national totalwere available.

These were first converted to total numbers. P60-90was then derived using average annual growth rates.

NAME1 are the four major administrative categories(divisions):

Urban Governates, Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, FrontierGovernates. NAME2 are the 26 governates

Equatorial Guinea

  1. Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial (1981), RecensaEstadistica de Guinea Ecuatorial, Direccion General de Estadistica,Malabo. [1965 data]
  2. Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial (1983), CensosNacionales de Poblacion y de Vivienda de 4 de Julio de 1983, DireccionGeneral de Estadistica, Malabo.
  3. Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial (1987), Guineaen Cifras 1987, Direccion General de Estadistica, Malabo.
  4. Republica de Guinea Ecuatorial (1990), BoletinEstadistica Anual 1990, Direccion General de Estadistica, Malabo.

Only boundaries for the first subnational level wereavailable, although population figures are also available forthe 2nd level.

Figures were available for 1965, 1983 and 1989 (estimates).

These figures do not allow us to pick up the declinein population between 1970 and 1980 from 291k and 217k and thesubsequent increase to 312k in 1985. The estimates for 60-90were therefore based

on average annual subnational growth rates and uniformlyadjusted to match the UN estimates for those years.

Eritrea & Ethiopia

  1. Census of Ethiopia 1984, Digital File obtainedfrom EROS Data Center through the Int'l Livestock Research Institute;contains population figures for 3rd level administrative units(2nd level for Eritrea)
  2. Central Statistical Authority (1986), EritreaStatistical Abstract 1986, Addis Abeba. Contains population by1st 2nd subnational level (Region and Awraja) for 1986
  3. Groupe de Demographie Africaine (1986), Populationsize in African countries, IDP-INEP-INSEE-MICOOP-ORSTOM, Pariscontains region population figures for 1975.
  4. Ofcansky, P. and B. LaVerle (1993), Ethiopia- A country study, Area Handbook Series, Federal Research Divisionof the Library of Congress.

Population figures for the lowest level admin unitswere available only for 1984 (the only census conducted in Ethiopia/Eritreabefore 1990).

The Awraja level growth rates 1984-1986 were usedfor the 1980 and 1990 estimates. These were modified by the 1975-1984region level growth rates to derive 1960 and 1970 estimates. These are obviously not very reliable. All estimates were finallyadjusted uniformly to match the national level UN population estimates.

GIS coverage produced by USGS/EDC USAID/FEWS andobtained through the Int'l Livestock Research Institute.

Gabon

  1. Republique Gabonaise (1980), Annuaire Statistique du Gabon 1976-80, Direction Generale de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, Ministerede la Planification de l'Economie et de l'Amenagementdu Territoire, Libreville.
  2. Republique Gabonaise (1990), Annuaire Statistique du Gabon 1990, Direction Generale de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques, Ministere de la Planification de l'Economie et de l'Amenagement duTerritoire, Libreville.
  3. Republique Gabonaise (1993), Recensement Generalede la Population et de l'Habitat 1993, Resultats Preliminaires,Direction Generale de la Statistique et des Etudes Economiques,Ministere de la Planification de l'Economie et de l'Amenagementdu Territoire, Libreville.

Subnational and national pop figures for Gabon arevery inconsistent. For example the national totals (as the sumof the first subnational level units) derived from different sourcesare as follows:

1970: 950,013 (Annuaire Statistique)
1976: 1,202,100 (Europa Yearbook)
1978: 1,299,000 (Statesmen's Yearbook)
1980: 1,035,610 (Annuaire Statistique)
1985: 1,170,980 (Annuaire Statistique)
1990: 1,365,400 (Annuaire Statistique)
1993: 1,014,997 (preliminary census results)

The UN estimates for 60, 70, 80, and 90, are: 486000, 504000, 806000, and 1146000.

Similar inconsistencies are apparent in the subnationalfigures at the first level (available for all above listed years)and at the second level which were available only for 1980, 85,90 (all estimates) and 1993 (prelim. census results).

Consequently, the figures needed to be adjusted considerablyand the resulting subnational estimates should be regarded asvery rough estimates only!!!

Given that the national totals were very inconsistent,instead of using the raw figures, the final estimates are basedon the proportion of a sub-units population of the national total. These proportions were then applied to the UN estimates for thefour years. This was done for the 1980 and 1990 figures at the2nd subnational level, and for 1970 at the first subnational level. For 1960, the same proportions as for 1970 had to be assumedsince no additional information was available. This approachreduced the inconsistencies considerably, even though some strangenumbers remain (e.g., districts loosing half their populationin ten years).

Map data source is the FAO coverage updated usingIGN maps and information available from census publications.

Gambia

WALTPS pop estimates based on:

  1. Etude d'une Image à Long Terme de l'Afrique.
  2. Central Statistics Department: Population HousingCensus 1983: General Report, Vol. I: Administrative and AnalyticalProcedures.
  3. Central Statistics Department: General Report:Banjul, October 1987.
  4. CERPOD: Migrations and Urbanization in the Sahel,Gambia, Ndow A. and H. Njai, Rapport de recherche, Vol. III.
  5. Lopez-Escartin N.: Données de base surla population, Gambie: CEPED, No. 11, Paris, Décembre 1991.

Boundary data source: USAID/FEWS, EDC Sioux Falls.

Ghana

WALTPS pop estimates based on:

  1. Etude d'une Image à Long Terme de l'Afrique.
  2. Republic of Ghana: Population Census of 1984,Preliminary Report: Accra, Décembre 1984.
  3. Republic of Ghana: Population Census of 1984,Special report on localities by local authorities and by region,Statistical Service: Accra 1989.
  4. Republic of Ghana: 1984 Population Census ofGhana: Demographic and economic characteristics by region, StatisticalService: Accra 1987.

Boundary data source: WALTPS

Guinea

WALTPS pop estimates based on:

  1. Etude d'une Image à Long Terme de l'Afrique.
  2. Ministère du Plan et de la CoopérationInternationale (Direction Générale de la Statistiqueet de l'Informatique): Recensement général de lapopulation et de l'habitat, Février 1983, Résultatsprovisoires: Conakry, Octobre 1987, Analyse des résultatsdéfinitifs: Conakry, Décembre 1989.
  3. Venard J.L.: Projet de développement urbainde Conakry, Avril 1988.

Boundary data set updated using 1:1m IGN map.

Guinea Bissau

WALTPS pop estimates based on:

  1. Etude d'une Image à Long Terme de l'Afrique.
  2. U.S. Bureau of the Census: Recensements de 1970et 1979.

[ Country-specific documentation | African Population Distribution Database]

<URL: http://grid2.cr.usgs.gov/globalpop/africa/country-specific/d_g.htm>
Last modified: 21 February 1997.
Please address any comments or suggestions to uwe@ncgia.ucsb.edu. African Population Database Documentation : A.4.