Compare Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008) - Sierra Leone (2006)

Compare Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008) z Sierra Leone (2006)

	Ashmore and Cartier Islands (2008)	Sierra Leone (2006)

Administrative divisions	-	3 provinces and 1 area; Eastern, Northern, Southern, Western
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 44.8% (male 1,321,563/female 1,370,721) 15-64 years: 52% (male 1,494,502/female 1,625,733) 65 years and over: 3.2% (male 90,958/female 101,773) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	rice, coffee, cocoa, palm kernels, palm oil, peanuts; poultry, cattle, sheep, pigs; fish
Airports	-	10 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 2 (2006)
Area	total: 5 sq km land: 5 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ashmore Reef (West, Middle, and East Islets) and Cartier Island	total: 71,740 sq km land: 71,620 sq km water: 120 sq km
Area - comparative	about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC	slightly smaller than South Carolina
Background	These uninhabited islands came under Australian authority in 1931; formal administration began two years later. Ashmore Reef supports a rich and diverse avian and marine habitat; in 1983, it became a National Nature Reserve. Cartier Island, a former bombing range, is now a marine reserve.	The government is slowly reestablishing its authority after the 1991 to 2002 civil war that resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people (about one-third of the population). The last UN peacekeepers withdrew in December 2005, leaving full responsibility for security with domestic forces, but a new civilian UN office remains to support the government. Mounting tensions related to planned 2007 elections, deteriorating political and economic conditions in Guinea, and the tenuous security situation in neighboring Liberia may present challenges to continuing progress in Sierra Leone's stability.
Birth rate	-	45.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $96 million expenditures: $351 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (2000 est.)
Capital	-	name: Freetown geographic coordinates: 8 30 N, 13 15 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	tropical	tropical; hot, humid; summer rainy season (May to December); winter dry season (December to April)
Coastline	74.1 km	402 km
Constitution	-	1 October 1991; subsequently amended several times
Country name	conventional long form: Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands conventional short form: Ashmore and Cartier Islands	conventional long form: Republic of Sierra Leone conventional short form: Sierra Leone local long form: Republic of Sierra Leone local short form: Sierra Leone
Death rate	-	23.03 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external	-	$1.61 billion (2003 est.)
Dependency status	territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Attorney-General's Department	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (territory of Australia)	chief of mission: Ambassador Thomas N. HULL embassy: Corner of Walpole and Siaka Stevens Streets, Freetown mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [232] (22) 226481 through 226485 FAX: [232] (22) 225471
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (territory of Australia)	chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahim M. KAMARA chancery: 1701 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9261 through 9263 FAX: [1] (202) 483-1793
Disputes - international	Indonesian groups challenge Australia's claim to these islands; Australia closed parts of the Ashmore and Cartier Reserve to Indonesian traditional fishing and placed restrictions on certain catches	domestic fighting among disparate rebel groups, warlords, and youth gangs in Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone perpetuate insurgencies, street violence, looting, arms trafficking, ethnic conflicts, and refugees in border areas; UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) has maintained over 4,000 peacekeepers in Sierra Leone since 1999; Sierra Leone pressures Guinea to remove its forces from the town of Yenga occupied since 1998
Economic aid - recipient	-	$297.4 million (2003 est.)
Economy - overview	no economic activity	Sierra Leone is an extremely poor African nation with tremendous inequality in income distribution. While it possesses substantial mineral, agricultural, and fishery resources, its economic and social infrastructure is not well developed, and serious social disorders continue to hamper economic development. About two-thirds of the working-age population engages in subsistence agriculture. Manufacturing consists mainly of the processing of raw materials and of light manufacturing for the domestic market. Alluvial diamond mining remains the major source of hard currency earnings, accounting for nearly half of Sierra Leone's exports. The fate of the economy depends upon the maintenance of domestic peace and the continued receipt of substantial aid from abroad, which is essential to offset the severe trade imbalance and supplement government revenues. The IMF has completed a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program that helped stabilize economic growth and reduce inflation. A recent increase in political stability has led to a revival of economic activity, such as the rehabilitation of bauxite mining.
Electricity - consumption	-	242.4 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production	-	260.6 million kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 3 m	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Loma Mansa (Bintimani) 1,948 m
Environment - current issues	NA	rapid population growth pressuring the environment; overharvesting of timber, expansion of cattle grazing, and slash-and-burn agriculture have resulted in deforestation and soil exhaustion; civil war depleting natural resources; overfishing
Environment - international agreements	-	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification
Ethnic groups	-	20 African ethnic groups 90% (Temne 30%, Mende 30%, other 30%), Creole (Krio) 10% (descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area in the late-18th century), refugees from Liberia's recent civil war, small numbers of Europeans, Lebanese, Pakistanis, and Indians
Exchange rates	-	leones per US dollar - 2,889.6 (2005), 2,701.3 (2004), 2,347.9 (2003), 2,099 (2002), 1,986.2 (2001)
Executive branch	-	chief of state: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (since 29 March 1996, reinstated 10 March 1998); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Ministers of State appointed by the president with the approval of the House of Representatives; the cabinet is responsible to the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held 28 July 2007) election results: Ahmad Tejan KABBAH reelected president; percent of vote - Ahmad Tejan KABBAH (SLPP) 70.6%, Ernest KOROMA (APC) 22.4%
Exports	-	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	-	diamonds, rutile, cocoa, coffee, fish
Exports - partners	-	Belgium 66.2%, Germany 13.5%, US 4.6% (2005)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	the flag of Australia is used	three equal horizontal bands of light green (top), white, and light blue
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 49% industry: 31% services: 21% (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	7.5% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates	12 14 S, 123 05 E	8 30 N, 11 30 W
Geography - note	Ashmore Reef National Nature Reserve established in August 1983	rainfall along the coast can reach 495 cm (195 inches) a year, making it one of the wettest places along coastal, western Africa
Heliports	-	2 (2006)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: 0.5% highest 10%: 43.6% (1989)
Imports	-	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	-	foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, fuels and lubricants, chemicals
Imports - partners	-	Germany 18.9%, Cote d'Ivoire 11.2%, UK 8.5%, US 6.9%, China 5.6%, Netherlands 5.4%, South Africa 4.1% (2005)
Independence	-	27 April 1961 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	-	NA%
Industries	-	diamond mining; small-scale manufacturing (beverages, textiles, cigarettes, footwear); petroleum refining, small commercial ship repair
Infant mortality rate	-	total: 160.39 deaths/1,000 live births male: 177.47 deaths/1,000 live births female: 142.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	1% (2002 est.)
International organization participation	-	ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land	0 sq km	300 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court; Appeals Court; High Court
Labor force	-	1.369 million (1981 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 958 km border countries: Guinea 652 km, Liberia 306 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (all grass and sand) (2005)	arable land: 7.95% permanent crops: 1.05% other: 91% (2005)
Languages	-	English (official, regular use limited to literate minority), Mende (principal vernacular in the south), Temne (principal vernacular in the north), Krio (English-based Creole, spoken by the descendants of freed Jamaican slaves who were settled in the Freetown area, a lingua franca and a first language for 10% of the population but understood by 95%)
Legal system	the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and the laws of the Northern Territory of Australia, where applicable, apply	based on English law and customary laws indigenous to local tribes; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Parliament (124 seats - 112 elected by popular vote, 12 filled by paramount chiefs elected in separate elections; members serve five-year terms) elections: last held 14 May 2002 (next to be held May 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - SLPP 70.06%, APC 22.35%, PLP 3%, others 4.59%; seats by party - SLPP 83, APC 27, PLP 2
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 40.22 years male: 38.05 years female: 42.46 years (2006 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write English, Mende, Temne, or Arabic total population: 29.6% male: 39.8% female: 20.5% (2000 est.)
Location	Southeastern Asia, islands in the Indian Ocean, midway between northwestern Australia and Timor island	Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Liberia
Map references	Southeast Asia	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 54 ships (1000 GRT or over) 185,037 GRT/249,996 DWT by type: bulk carrier 2, cargo 36, chemical tanker 3, combination ore/oil 3, liquefied gas 1, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 14 (China 2, Cyprus 1, Egypt 1, Russia 1, Syria 1, UAE 3, Ukraine 4, US 1) (2006)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of Australia; periodic visits by the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Air Force	-
Military branches	-	Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF): Army (includes Air Wing, Maritime Wing)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$14.25 million (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	1.7% (2005 est.)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 27 April (1961)
Nationality	-	noun: Sierra Leonean(s) adjective: Sierra Leonean
Natural hazards	surrounded by shoals and reefs that can pose maritime hazards	dry, sand-laden harmattan winds blow from the Sahara (December to February); sandstorms, dust storms
Natural resources	fish	diamonds, titanium ore, bauxite, iron ore, gold, chromite
Net migration rate	-	0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: refugees currently in surrounding countries are slowly returning (2006 est.)
People - note	the landing of illegal immigrants from Indonesia's Rote Island has become an ongoing problem	-
Political parties and leaders	-	All People's Congress or APC [Ben KANU]; Peace and Liberation Party or PLP [Darlington MORRISON, interim chairman]; Sierra Leone People's Party or SLPP [Sama BANYA]; numerous others
Political pressure groups and leaders	-	trade unions and student unions
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: Indonesian fishermen are allowed access to the lagoon and fresh water at Ashmore Reef's West Island	6,005,250 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	68% (1989 est.)
Population growth rate	-	2.3% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	-	AM 1, FM 9, shortwave 1 (1999)
Religions	-	Muslim 60%, indigenous beliefs 30%, Christian 10%
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	-	general assessment: marginal telephone and telegraph service domestic: the national microwave radio relay trunk system connects Freetown to Bo and Kenema international: country code - 232; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	-	24,000 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	113,200 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	-	2 (1999)
Terrain	low with sand and coral	coastal belt of mangrove swamps, wooded hill country, upland plateau, mountains in east
Total fertility rate	-	6.08 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	NA%
Waterways	-	800 km (600 km year round) (2005)

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