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Compare Christmas Island (2003) - Western Sahara (2001)

Compare Christmas Island (2003) z Western Sahara (2001)

 Christmas Island (2003)Western Sahara (2001)
 Christmas IslandWestern Sahara
Administrative divisions none (territory of Australia) none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Age structure 0-14 years: NA%


15-64 years: NA%


65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
0-14 years:
NA%

15-64 years:
NA%

65 years and over:
NA%
Agriculture - products NA fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)
Airports 1 (2002) 11 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
8

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Area total: 135 sq km


land: 135 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
266,000 sq km

land:
266,000 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC about the size of Colorado
Background Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park. Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 cease-fire; a referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed and is not expected to occur until at least 2002.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.) -
Budget revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital The Settlement none
Climate tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Coastline 80 km 1,110 km
Constitution NA -
Country name conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island


conventional short form: Christmas Island
conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Western Sahara

former:
Spanish Sahara
Currency Australian dollar (AUD) Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) -
Debt - external $NA $NA
Dependency status territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territory of Australia) none
Diplomatic representation in the US none (territory of Australia) none
Disputes - international none claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since September 1991
Economic aid - recipient $NA $NA
Economy - overview Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, slated to begin operation in 2003. Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and lacking sufficient rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 83.7 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh 90 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: NA%


hydro: NA%


nuclear: NA%


other: NA%
fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
lowest point:
Sebjet Tah -55 m

highest point:
unnamed location 463 m
Environment - current issues NA sparse water and lack of arable land
Environment - international agreements - party to:
none of the selected agreements

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%


note: no indigenous population (2001)
Arab, Berber
Exchange rates Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 10.590 (January 2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996)
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general


head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
none
Exports $NA $NA
Exports - commodities phosphate phosphates 62%
Exports - partners Australia, NZ Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Fiscal year 1 July - 30 June calendar year
Flag description the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory -
GDP purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
40%-45% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate NA% NA%
Geographic coordinates 10 30 S, 105 40 E 24 30 N, 13 00 W
Geography - note located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean -
Heliports - 1 (2000 est.)
Highways total: 240 km


paved: 30 km


unpaved: 210 km (2000)
total:
6,200 km

paved:
1,350 km

unpaved:
4,850 km (1991 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Imports $NA $NA
Imports - commodities consumer goods fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Imports - partners principally Australia Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Independence none (territory of Australia) -
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) phosphate mining, handicrafts
Infant mortality rate total: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
-
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% NA%
International organization participation none none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 2 (2000) 1 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court -
Labor force NA 12,000
Labor force - by occupation tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995) animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Land boundaries 0 km total:
2,046 km

border countries:
Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100%


note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.)
arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
19%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
81%
Languages English (official), Chinese, Malay Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Legal system under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law -
Legislative branch unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)


elections: last held NA December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2003)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
-
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years (2003 est.)
-
Literacy NA definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Map references Southeast Asia Africa
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 12 NM


exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Merchant marine none (2002 est.) -
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Australia -
Military branches - NA
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA%
National holiday NA -
Nationality noun: Christmas Islander(s)


adjective: Christmas Island
noun:
Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

adjective:
Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Natural hazards the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility
Natural resources phosphate, beaches phosphates, iron ore
Net migration rate NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -
Political parties and leaders none -
Political pressure groups and leaders none none
Population 433 (July 2003 est.) 250,559 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate -9% (2003 est.) -
Ports and harbors Flying Fish Cove Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - 56,000 (1997)
Railways 24 km to serve phosphate mines 0 km
Religions Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) Muslim
Sex ratio NA (2003 est.) -
Suffrage - none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed
Telephone system general assessment: service provided by the Australian network


domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available


international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000)
general assessment:
sparse and limited system

domestic:
NA

international:
tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
Telephones - main lines in use NA about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 0 (1999)
Television broadcast stations NA NA
Terrain steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman (2003 est.) -
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways none none
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