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Compare Aruba (2003) - Mauritania (2004)
Compare Aruba (2003) z Mauritania (2004)
| Aruba (2003) | Mauritania (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 12 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district*; Adrar, Assaba, Brakna, Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Gorgol, Guidimaka, Hodh Ech Chargui, Hodh El Gharbi, Inchiri, Nouakchott*, Tagant, Tiris Zemmour, Trarza |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 20.7% (male 7,540; female 7,121)
15-64 years: 68.3% (male 23,427; female 24,955) 65 years and over: 11% (male 3,215; female 4,586) (2003 est.) |
0-14 years: 45.9% (male 689,371; female 686,486)
15-64 years: 51.9% (male 767,551; female 788,520) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 27,106; female 39,529) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | aloes; livestock; fish | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep |
| Airports | 1 (2002) | 24 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2002) |
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 193 sq km
land: 193 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than Washington, DC | slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico |
| Background | Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. A 19th century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became a separate, autonomous member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Movement toward full independence was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. | Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. Mauritania remains, in reality, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black population and the dominant Moor (Arab-Berber) populace. |
| Birth rate | 11.86 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 41.79 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $135.81 million
expenditures: $147 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (2000) |
revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) |
| Capital | Oranjestad | Nouakchott |
| Climate | tropical marine; little seasonal temperature variation | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty |
| Coastline | 68.5 km | 754 km |
| Constitution | 1 January 1986 | 12 July 1991 |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Aruba |
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah local short form: Muritaniyah |
| Currency | Aruban guilder/florin (AWG) | ouguiya (MRO) |
| Death rate | 6.38 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 12.74 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $285 million (1996) | $2.5 billion (2000) |
| Dependency status | part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | the US does not have an embassy in Aruba; the Consul General to Netherlands Antilles is accredited to Aruba | chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LEBARON
embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663 FAX: [222] 25-25-92 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (represented by the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould KERIM
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623 |
| Disputes - international | none | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years |
| Economic aid - recipient | $26 million (1995); note - the Netherlands provided a $127 million aid package to Aruba and Suriname in 1996 | $220 million (2000) |
| Economy - overview | Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. Tourist arrivals have declined in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The government now must deal with a budget deficit and a negative trade balance. | Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In February 2000, Mauritania qualified for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative and in December 2001 received strong support from donor and lending countries at a triennial Consultative Group review. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. Substantial oil production and exports probably will not begin until 2005. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy. |
| Electricity - consumption | 494.7 million kWh (2001) | 146.3 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 531.9 million kWh (2001) | 157.4 million kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 100%
hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mount Jamanota 188 m |
lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | overgrazing, deforestation, and soil erosion aggravated by drought are contributing to desertification; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Senegal, which is the only perennial river; locust infestation |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | mixed white/Caribbean Amerindian 80% | mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% |
| Exchange rates | Aruban guilders/florins per US dollar - 1.79 (2002), 1.79 (2001), 1.79 (2000), 1.79 (1999), 1.79 (1998) | ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2003), 271.739 (2002), 255.629 (2001) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen BEATRIX of the Netherlands (since 30 April 1980), represented by Governor General Olindo KOOLMAN (since 1 January 1992)
head of government: Prime Minister Nelson O. ODUBER (since 30 October 2001); Deputy Prime Minister Fredis REFUNJOL cabinet: Council of Ministers (elected by the Staten) elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed for a six-year term by the monarch; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by the Staten for four-year terms; election last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by December 2005) election results: Nelson O. ODUBER elected prime minister; percent of legislative vote - NA% |
chief of state: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)
head of government: Prime Minister Sghair Ould M'BARECK (since 6 July 2003) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held NA 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected for a third term with 60.8% of the vote |
| Exports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | live animals and animal products, art and collectibles, machinery and electrical equipment, transport equipment | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold |
| Exports - partners | Netherlands 28.6%, Colombia 21.7%, Panama 16.8%, US 12.1%, Netherlands Antilles 8.3%, Venezuela 7.6% (2002) | Japan 12.5%, France 12.1%, Spain 11.4%, Italy 10.4%, Belgium 7.8%, Germany 7.4%, Russia 5%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.2%, Netherlands 4% (2003) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue, with two narrow, horizontal, yellow stripes across the lower portion and a red, four-pointed star outlined in white in the upper hoist-side corner | green with a yellow five-pointed star above a yellow, horizontal crescent; the closed side of the crescent is down; the crescent, star, and color green are traditional symbols of Islam |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $1.94 billion (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5.195 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $28,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | -1.5% (2002 est.) | 4.5% (2003 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 12 30 N, 69 58 W | 20 00 N, 12 00 W |
| Geography - note | a flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches; its tropical climate is moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean; the temperature is almost constant at about 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit) | most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country |
| Highways | total: 800 km
paved: 513 km unpaved: 287 km note: most coastal roads are paved, while unpaved roads serve large tracts of the interior (1995) |
total: 7,720 km
paved: 830 km unpaved: 6,890 km (2000) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2000) |
| Illicit drugs | transit point for US- and Europe-bound narcotics with some accompanying money-laundering activity | - |
| Imports | NA (2001) | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and electrical equipment, crude oil for refining and reexport, chemicals; foodstuffs | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | US 54.7%, Netherlands 12.7%, UK 5.7% (2002) | France 16.8%, Spain 7.7%, China 6.3%, Belgium 5.1%, Germany 4.9%, Japan 4.3%, UK 4.1%, US 4% (2003) |
| Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands) | 28 November 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA | 2% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.99 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.) |
total: 72.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 75.22 deaths/1,000 live births female: 69.39 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.2% (2002 est.) | 7% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | Caricom (observer), ECLAC (associate), Interpol, IOC, UNESCO (associate), WCL, WToO (associate) | ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | NA | - |
| Irrigated land | 0.01 sq km (1998 est.) | 490 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Joint High Court of Justice (judges are appointed by the monarch) | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts |
| Labor force | 41,501 (1997 est.) | 786,000 (2001) |
| Labor force - by occupation | most employment is in wholesale and retail trade and repair, followed by hotels and restaurants; oil refining | agriculture 50%, industry 10%, services 40% (2001 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km |
| Land use | arable land: 10.53% (including aloe 0.01%)
permanent crops: 0% other: 89.47% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (2001) |
| Languages | Dutch (official), Papiamento (a Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English dialect), English (widely spoken), Spanish | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof |
| Legal system | based on Dutch civil law system, with some English common law influence | a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Legislature or Staten (21 seats; members elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 28 September 2001 (next to be held by NA 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - MEP 52.4%, AVP 26.7%, PPA 9.6%, OLA 5.7%, Aliansa 3.5%, other 2.1%; seats by party - MEP 12, AVP 6, PPA 2, OLA 1 |
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats, a part of the seats up for election every two years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (81 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2004); National Assembly - last held 19 and 26 October 2001 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRDS 54, RFD 1, UNDD 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PRDS 79%, RDU 3.5%, UDP 3.5%, AC 5%, UFP 3.5%, FP 1.5%; seats by party - PRDS 64, UDP 3, RDU 3, AC 4, RFD 3, UFP 3, and FP 1 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 78.83 years
male: 75.48 years female: 82.34 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 52.32 years
male: 50.15 years female: 54.56 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
total population: 97% male: NA% female: NA% |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 41.7% male: 51.8% female: 31.9% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, island in the Caribbean Sea, north of Venezuela | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Africa |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 NM | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Merchant marine | total: 3
ships by type: bulk 1, cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 note: there is one foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Monaco 1 (2002 est.) |
none |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the Kingdom of the Netherlands | - |
| Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; Royal Dutch Navy and Marines, Coast Guard | Army, Navy (including Naval Infantry), Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard (BSSP) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $40.8 million (2003) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 3.7% (2003) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 686,629 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 332,633 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Flag Day, 18 March | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) |
| Nationality | noun: Aruban(s)
adjective: Aruban; Dutch |
noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian |
| Natural hazards | lies outside the Caribbean hurricane belt | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts |
| Natural resources | NEGL; white sandy beaches | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Aruba Solidarity Movement or MAS [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Alliance or Aliansa [leader NA]; Aruban Democratic Party or PDA [Leo BERLINSKI]; Aruban Liberal Party or OLA [Glenbert CROES]; Aruban Patriotic Party or PPA [Benny NISBET]; Aruban People's Party or AVP [Jan (Henny) H. EMAN]; Concentration for the Liberation of Aruba or CLA [leader NA]; People's Electoral Movement Party or MEP [Nelson O. ODUBER]; For a Restructured Aruba Now or PARA [Urbana LOPEZ]; National Democratic Action or ADN [Pedro Charro KELLY] | Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Kebe ABDOULAYE]; Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA]; Mauritanian Party for Renewal and Concorde or PMRC [Molaye El Hassen Ould JIYID]; National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality and Justice or PLEJ [Daouda M'BAGNIGA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progress Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Popular Social and Democratic Union or UPSD [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force Union or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]
note: the Action for Change party was banned in January 2002 although its members were permitted to keep their seats in the National Assembly; parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general] |
| Population | 70,844 (July 2003 est.) | 2,998,563 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 50% (2001 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 0.55% (2003 est.) | 2.91% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Barcadera, Oranjestad, Sint Nicolaas | Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 4, FM 6, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) |
| Railways | 0 km | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2003) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish | Muslim 100% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2003 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: more than adequate international: 1 submarine cable to Sint Maarten (Netherlands Antilles); extensive interisland microwave radio relay links |
general assessment: limited system of cable and open-wire lines, minor microwave radio relay links, and radiotelephone communications stations (improvements being made)
domestic: mostly cable and open-wire lines; a recently completed domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 33,000 (1997) | 31,500 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 3,402 (1997) | 300,000 (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (1997) | 1 (2002) |
| Terrain | flat with a few hills; scant vegetation | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills |
| Total fertility rate | 1.79 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 6.01 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 0.6% | 21% (1999 est.) |
| Waterways | none | some ferry traffic on Senegal River (2004) |
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