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Compare Christmas Island (2006) - Western Sahara (2007)
Compare Christmas Island (2006) z Western Sahara (2007)
| Christmas Island (2006) | Western Sahara (2007) | |
 |  | |
| 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 (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 45.4% (male 88,176/female 85,421)
15-64 years: 52.3% (male 98,345/female 101,895) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,705/female 5,075) (2007 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | NA | fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish |
| Airports | 1 (2006) | 9 (2007) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
| 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 three-quarters 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 began 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 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. |
| Birth rate | NA | NA |
| Budget | revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA |
| Capital | name: The Settlement
geographic coordinates: 18 44 N, 64 19 W time difference: UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
none
time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical with a wet and dry season; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds; wet season (December to April) | hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew |
| Coastline | 138.9 km | 1,110 km |
| Constitution | Christmas Island Act of 1958-59 (1 October 1958) as amended by the Territories Law Reform Act of 1992 | - |
| 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 |
| Death rate | NA | NA |
| Debt - external | - | $NA |
| Dependency status | non-self governing 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 | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria |
| 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, projected to begin operations in the near future. | Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006, the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara. |
| Electricity - consumption | - | 79.05 million kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
| Electricity - production | - | 85 million kWh (2005) |
| 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 | loss of rainforest; impact of phosphate mining | 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 - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001) | Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general
head of government: Administrator Neil LUCAS (since 30 January 2006) elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia |
none |
| Exports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | phosphate | phosphates 62% |
| Exports - partners | Australia, NZ (2004) | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
| Flag description | territorial flag; divided diagonally from upper hoist to lower fly; the upper triangle is green with a yellow image of the Golden Bosun Bird superimposed, while the lower triangle is blue with the Southern Cross constellation, representing Australia, superimposed; a centered yellow disk displays a green map of the island; the flag of Australia is used for official purposes | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: 40% |
| GDP - real growth rate | - | 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 | the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | $NA | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | consumer goods | fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners | principally Australia (2004) | Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006) |
| Independence | none (territory of Australia) | - |
| Industrial production growth rate | - | NA% |
| Industries | tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion) | phosphate mining, handicrafts |
| Infant mortality rate | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | NA% |
| International organization participation | none | none |
| Irrigated land | NA | NA |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court | - |
| Labor force | NA | 12,000 |
| Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 50%
industry and services: 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% (mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park) (2005) |
arable land: 0.02%
permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2005) |
| 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 four-year terms)
elections: held every two years with half the members standing for election; last held in May 2005 (next to be held in May 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 9 |
- |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Literacy | NA | 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 | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 12 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Australia | - |
| National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | - |
| Nationality | noun: Christmas Islander(s)
adjective: Christmas Island |
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)
adjective: Sahrawi, 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 | - |
| Political parties and leaders | none | - |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | none | none |
| Population | 1,493 (July 2006 est.) | 382,617
note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2007 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0% (2006 est.) | NA |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (2006) | AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) |
| Religions | Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997) | Muslim |
| Sex ratio | NA | NA |
| Suffrage | - | none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed |
| Telephone system | general assessment: service provided by the Australian network
domestic: GSM mobile telephone service replaced older analog system in February 2005 international: country code - 61-8; satellite earth stations - one INTELSAT earth station provides telephone and telex service (2005) |
general assessment: sparse and limited system
domestic: NA international: country code - 212; 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 | 0; note - TV broadcasts received via satellite from mainland Australia (2006) | 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 | NA |
| Unemployment rate | - | NA% |
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