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Compare French Polynesia (2006) - Mauritania (2006)
Compare French Polynesia (2006) z Mauritania (2006)
| French Polynesia (2006) | Mauritania (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas lands of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are five archipelagic divisions named Archipel des Marquises, Archipel des Tuamotu, Archipel des Tubuai, Iles du Vent, Iles Sous-le-Vent
note: Clipperton Island is administered by France from French Polynesia |
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: 26.1% (male 36,541/female 34,999)
15-64 years: 67.9% (male 96,769/female 89,593) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 8,428/female 8,248) (2006 est.) |
0-14 years: 45.6% (male 726,376/female 723,013)
15-64 years: 52.2% (male 818,408/female 839,832) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 28,042/female 41,717) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | coconuts, vanilla, vegetables, fruits, coffee; poultry, beef, dairy products | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep |
| Airports | 51 (2006) | 25 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 39
over 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 25 under 914 m: 7 (2006) |
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 12
914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 7 (2006) |
total: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
| Area | total: 4,167 sq km (118 islands and atolls)
land: 3,660 sq km water: 507 sq km |
total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly less than one-third the size of Connecticut | slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico |
| Background | The French annexed various Polynesian island groups during the 19th century. In September 1995, France stirred up widespread protests by resuming nuclear testing on the Mururoa atoll after a three-year moratorium. The tests were suspended in January 1996. In recent years, French Polynesia's autonomy has been considerably expanded. | 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. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA seized power in a coup in 1984. 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. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions and organized elections. For now, however, Mauritania remains an autocratic state, and the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor (Arab-Berber) communities. |
| Birth rate | 16.68 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 40.99 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $865 million
expenditures: $644.1 million; including capital expenditures of $185 million (1996) |
revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million; including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) |
| Capital | name: Papeete
geographic coordinates: 17 32 S, 149 34 W time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Nouakchott
geographic coordinates: 18 06 N, 15 57 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
| Climate | tropical, but moderate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty |
| Coastline | 2,525 km | 754 km |
| Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | 12 July 1991 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Overseas Lands of French Polynesia
conventional short form: French Polynesia local long form: Pays d'outre-mer de la Polynesie Francaise local short form: Polynesie Francaise former: French Colony of Oceania |
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah local short form: Muritaniyah |
| Death rate | 4.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 12.16 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $NA | $2.5 billion (2000) |
| Dependency status | overseas lands of France; overseas territory of France from 1946-2004 | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas lands of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven KOUTSIS
embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663 FAX: [222] 525-1592 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas lands of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL 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 | $580 million (2004) | $305.7 million (2002) |
| Economy - overview | Since 1962, when France stationed military personnel in the region, French Polynesia has changed from a subsistence agricultural economy to one in which a high proportion of the work force is either employed by the military or supports the tourist industry. With the halt of French nuclear testing in 1996, the military contribution to the economy fell sharply. Tourism accounts for about one-fourth of GDP and is a primary source of hard currency earnings. Other sources of income are pearl farming and deep-sea commercial fishing. The small manufacturing sector primarily processes agricultural products. The territory benefits substantially from development agreements with France aimed principally at creating new businesses and strengthening social services. | 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 which now stands at more than three times the level of annual exports. 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. 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. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. Mauritania has an estimated 1 billion barrels of proved reserves. Substantial oil production and exports are scheduled to begin in early 2006 and may average 75,000 barrels per day for that year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy. |
| Electricity - consumption | 459.2 million kWh (2003) | 172.6 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 493.7 million kWh (2003) | 185.6 million kWh (2003) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Orohena 2,241 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 | Polynesian 78%, Chinese 12%, local French 6%, metropolitan French 4% | mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% |
| Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001)
note: pegged at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro |
ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2005), NA (2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002), 255.63 (2001) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President Jacques CHIRAC of France (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner of the Republic Anne BOQUET (since September 2005)
head of government: President of French Polynesia Oscar TEMARU (since 3 March 2005); President of the Territorial Assembly Antony GEROS (since 9 May 2004) cabinet: Council of Ministers; president submits a list of members of the Territorial Assembly for approval by them to serve as ministers elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the territorial government and the president of the Territorial Assembly are elected by the members of the assembly for five-year terms (no term limits) |
chief of state: Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, whose Military Council for Justice and Democracy deposed longtime President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA in a coup on 3 August 2005
head of government: Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since 8 August 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); note - passage of a constitutional reform referendum in July 2006 limits president to two five-year terms; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held 11 March 2007); 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 bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | cultured pearls, coconut products, mother-of-pearl, vanilla, shark meat | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold |
| Exports - partners | France 46.3%, Japan 20.8%, Niger 12.8%, US 12.5% (2005) | Italy 14.9%, Japan 12.3%, France 11.8%, Belgium 8.5%, Germany 8.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.2%, Spain 6.5%, Russia 5%, Netherlands 4.4% (2005) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | two narrow red horizontal bands encase a wide white band; centered on the white band is a disk with blue and white wave pattern on the lower half and gold and white ray pattern on the upper half; a stylized red, blue and white ship rides on the wave pattern; the French flag is used for official occasions | 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 - composition by sector | agriculture: 3.1%
industry: 19% services: 76.9% (2002) |
agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | NA% (2001 est.) | 5.5% (2005 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 15 00 S, 140 00 W | 20 00 N, 12 00 W |
| Geography - note | includes five archipelagoes (4 volcanic, 1 coral); Makatea in French Polynesia is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Nauru | most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country |
| Government - note | under certain acts of France, French Polynesia has acquired autonomy in all areas except those relating to police and justice, monetary policy, tertiary education, immigration, and defense and foreign affairs; the duties of its president are fashioned after those of the French prime minister | - |
| Heliports | 1 (2006) | - |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2000) |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | fuels, foodstuffs, machinery and equipment | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | France 52.7%, Singapore 14.9%, NZ 6.8%, US 6.6% (2005) | France 18.5%, UK 7.2%, US 7%, China 6%, Spain 5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005) |
| Independence | none (overseas lands of France) | 28 November 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, pearls, agricultural processing, handicrafts, phosphates | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 8.29 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
total: 69.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 72.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 66.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.1% (2006 est.) | 7% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WMO | ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Irrigated land | 10 sq km (2003) | 490 sq km (2002) |
| Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; Court of the First Instance or Tribunal de Premiere Instance; Court of Administrative Law or Tribunal Administratif | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts |
| Labor force | 65,870 (December 2005) | 786,000 (2001) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 13%
industry: 19% services: 68% (2002) |
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: 0.75%
permanent crops: 5.5% other: 93.75% (2005) |
arable land: 0.2%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.79% (2005) |
| Languages | French 61.1% (official), Polynesian 31.4% (official), Asian languages 1.2%, other 0.3%, unspecified 6% (2002 census) | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof |
| Legal system | based on French system | a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Assembly or Assemblee Territoriale (57 seats - changed from 49 seats for May 2004 election; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 23 May 2004 (next to be held May 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - People's Rally for the Republic (Gaullist) 28, Union for Democracy 27, New Star 1, This Country is Yours 1; after by-elections of 13 February 2005 seating was as follows: People's Rally for the Republic 27, Union for Democracy 27, and Alliance for a New Democracy 3 note: one seat was elected to the French Senate on 27 September 1998 (next to be held September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; two seats were elected to the French National Assembly on 9 June-16 June 2002 (next to be held in 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP/RPR 1, UMP 1 |
bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; a portion of 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 (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held 21 January 2007); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.1 years
male: 73.69 years female: 78.63 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 53.12 years
male: 50.88 years female: 55.42 years (2006 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 14 and over can read and write
total population: 98% male: 98% female: 98% (1977 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 41.7% male: 51.8% female: 31.9% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Oceania, archipelagoes in the South Pacific Ocean about one-half of the way from South America to Australia | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara |
| Map references | Oceania | Africa |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 13 ships (1000 GRT or over) 23,684 GRT/17,291 DWT
by type: cargo 4, passenger 2, passenger/cargo 5, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 1 (France 1) registered in other countries: 2 (Wallis and Futuna 2) (2006) |
- |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
| Military branches | no regular military forces; Gendarmerie and National Police Force | Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $19.32 million (2005 est.) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.4% (2005 est.) |
| National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) |
| Nationality | noun: French Polynesian(s)
adjective: French Polynesian |
noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian |
| Natural hazards | occasional cyclonic storms in January | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts |
| Natural resources | timber, fish, cobalt, hydropower | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish |
| Net migration rate | 2.85 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Alliance for a New Democracy or ADN [Nicole BOUTEAU and Philip SCHYLE](includes the parties The New Star and This Country is Yours); Independent Front for the Liberation of Polynesia (Tavini Huiraatira) [Oscar TEMARU]; New Fatherland Party (Ai'a Api) [Emile VERNAUDON]; People's Rally for the Republic of Polynesia or RPR (Tahoeraa Huiraatira) [Gaston FLOSSE]; Union for Democracy or UPD [Oscar TEMARU] | Action for Change or AC (no longer active) [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Cisse Amadou CHEIKHOU]; National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality, and Justice or PLEJ [Ba Mamdou ALASSANE]; Party of Democratic Convergence or PCD [Cheikh Ould HORMA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Progress Force Union or UFP (no longer active) [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR (formerly ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS) [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA]; Right Way or SAWAB [Cheikh Ould Sidi Ould HANANA]; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of Forces of Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]
note: the Party of Democratic Convergence was banned in October 2005 because it was regarded as Islamist and therefore in breach of Mauritanian law |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; 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 | 274,578 (July 2006 est.) | 3,177,388 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 40% (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 1.48% (2006 est.) | 2.88% (2006 est.) |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 14, shortwave 2 (1998) | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) |
| Railways | - | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) |
| Religions | Protestant 54%, Roman Catholic 30%, other 10%, no religion 6% | Muslim 100% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.02 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 689; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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 | 53,400 (2005) | 41,000 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 87,000 (2005) | 745,600 (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 7 (plus 17 low-power repeaters) (1997) | 1 (2002) |
| Terrain | mixture of rugged high islands and low islands with reefs | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills |
| Total fertility rate | 2.01 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 5.86 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 11.8% (1994) | 20% (2004 est.) |
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