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Compare Holy See (Vatican City) (2004) - Mauritania (2001)

Compare Holy See (Vatican City) (2004) z Mauritania (2001)

 Holy See (Vatican City) (2004)Mauritania (2001)
 Holy See (Vatican City)Mauritania
Administrative divisions none 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:
46.14% (male 634,940; female 632,654)

15-64 years:
51.59% (male 698,433; female 718,883)

65 years and over:
2.27% (male 25,840; female 36,562) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products - dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep
Airports none (2003 est.) 26 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways - total:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
5 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
18

2,438 to 3,047 m:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
9

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Area total: 0.44 sq km


land: 0.44 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total:
1,030,700 sq km

land:
1,030,400 sq km

water:
300 sq km
Area - comparative about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Background Popes in their secular role ruled portions of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Holy See and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include religious freedom, international development, the Middle East, terrorism, the failing health of Pope JOHN PAUL II, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the application of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith. 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 being flawed; Mauritania remains, in reality, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black minority population and the dominant Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.
Birth rate - 42.95 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues: $245.2 million


expenditures: $260.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2002)
revenues:
$329 million

expenditures:
$265 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1996 est.)
Capital Vatican City Nouakchott
Climate temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Coastline 0 km (landlocked) 754 km
Constitution new Fundamental Law promulgated by Pope John Paul II on 26 November 2000, effective 22 February 2001 (replaces the first Fundamental Law of 1929) 12 July 1991
Country name conventional long form: The Holy See (State of the Vatican City)


conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City)


local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano)


local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano)
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 euro (EUR) ouguiya (MRO)
Death rate - 13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external - $2.1 billion (1999)
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)


embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00153 Rome


mailing address: PSC 59, Box 66, APO AE 09624


telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428


FAX: [39] (06) 575-8346
chief of mission:
Ambassador John W. LIMBERT

embassy:
Rue Abdallaye, Nouakchott

mailing address:
B. P. 222, Nouakchott

telephone:
[222] 25-26-60, 25-26-63

FAX:
[222] 25-15-92
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriel MONTALVO


chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121


FAX: [1] (202) 337-4036
chief of mission:
Ambassador Ahmed Ben Khalifa BEN JIDOU

chancery:
2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 232-5700

FAX:
[1] (202) 319-2623
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient none $300 million (1998)
Economy - overview This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by an annual contribution from Roman Catholic dioceses throughout the world, as well as by special collections (known as Peter's Pence); the sale of postage stamps, coins, medals, and tourist mementos; fees for admission to museums; and the sale of publications. Investments and real estate income also account for a sizable portion of revenue. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many 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 half 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 have resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In March 1999, the government signed an agreement with a joint World Bank-IMF mission on a $54 million enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF). Mauritania withdrew its membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2000. Privatization and debt relief are in full swing, and the rate of economic growth appears to be accelerating, especially in the construction, telecommunication, and information sectors. Diamonds and petroleum are beginning to be explored and exploited.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh 140.4 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production NA kWh 151 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
82.78%

hydro:
17.22%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: unnamed location 19 m


highest point: unnamed location 75 m
lowest point:
Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m

highest point:
Kediet Ijill 910 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
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification
party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Italians, Swiss, other mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 0.886 (2003),1.1324 (2002), 1.1175 (2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999) ouguiyas per US dollar - 250.870 (December 2000), 238.923 (2000), 209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998), 151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996)
Executive branch chief of state: Pope JOHN PAUL II (since 16 October 1978)


head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo SODANO (since 1 December 1990)


cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope


elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 16 October 1978 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope


election results: Karol WOJTYLA elected pope
chief of state:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)

head of government:
Prime Minister Cheik El Avia Ould Mohamed KHOUNA (since 17 November 1998)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 2003); prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with 90.9% of the vote
Exports 0 kWh $333 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities - iron ore, fish and fish products, gold
Exports - partners - Japan 18%, France 17%, Italy 16%, Spain 11% (1998)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band 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 - $5.4 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
25%

industry:
31%

services:
44% (1997)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 5% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 41 54 N, 12 27 E 20 00 N, 12 00 W
Geography - note urban; landlocked; enclave in Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights 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 none; all city streets total:
7,660 km

paved:
866 km

unpaved:
6,794 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%:
2.3%

highest 10%:
29.9% (1995)
Imports NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy $305 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities - machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners - France 27%, Benelux 9%, Germany 7%, Spain 7% (1998)
Independence 11 February 1929 (from Italy); note - the three treaties signed with Italy on 11 February 1929 acknowledged, among other things, the full sovereignty of the Vatican and established its territorial extent; however, the origin of the Papal States, which over the years have varied considerably in extent, may be traced back to the 8th century 28 November 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - 2.2% (1999)
Industries printing; production of coins, medals, postage stamps, a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Infant mortality rate - 76.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 4.5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WIPO, WToO (observer), WTrO (observer) ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 5 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) 490 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch there are three tribunals responsible for civil and criminal matters within Vatican City; three other tribunals rule on issues pertaining to the Holy See


note: judicial duties were established by the Motu Proprio of Pius XII on 1 May 1946
Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts
Labor force NA 750,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation essentially services with a small amount of industry; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican agriculture 47%, services 39%, industry 14%
Land boundaries total: 3.2 km


border countries: Italy 3.2 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%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (urban area) (2001)
arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
38%

forests and woodland:
4%

other:
58% (1993 est.)
Languages Italian, Latin, French, various other languages Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French
Legal system based on Code of Canon Law and revisions to it a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law
Legislative branch unicameral Pontifical Commission bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 17 up for election every two years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (79 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
Senate - last held 17 April 1998 (next to be held NA 2001); National Assembly - last held 11 and 18 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRDS 71, AC 1, independents and other 7
Life expectancy at birth - total population:
51.14 years

male:
49.06 years

female:
53.29 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: 100%


male: NA


female: NA
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
46.7%

male:
53.4%

female:
40% (1998 est.)
Location Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy) Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Map references Europe Africa
Maritime claims none (landlocked) contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - none (2000 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and protect the Pope -
Military branches Swiss Guards Corps (Corpo della Guardia Svizzera) Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $41 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.7% (FY97/98)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
624,375 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
302,699 (2001 est.)
National holiday Coronation Day of Pope JOHN PAUL II, 22 October (1978) Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Nationality noun: none


adjective: none
noun:
Mauritanian(s)

adjective:
Mauritanian
Natural hazards NA hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
Natural resources none iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders none Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Assembly for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President Col. 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 [Mohamed El Hafed Ould ISMAEL]; Popular Social and Democratic Union or UPSD [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force Union or UFP [Mohamed Ould MOLOUD]; Union for Progress and Democracy or UNDD [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]

note:
parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991; however, politics continue to be tribally based
Political pressure groups and leaders none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers) 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 921 (July 2004 est.) 2,747,312 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 50% (1996 est.)
Population growth rate 0.01% (2004 est.) 2.93% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors none Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso
Radio broadcast stations AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 360,000 (1997)
Railways - total:
750 km (single track); note - owned and operated by government mining company

standard gauge:
750 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)
Religions Roman Catholic Muslim 100%
Sex ratio - 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:
0.71 male(s)/female

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage limited to cardinals less than 80 years old 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: automatic exchange


domestic: tied into Italian system


international: country code - 39; uses Italian system
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:
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use NA 26,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA NA
Television broadcast stations 1 (1996) 1 (1997)
Terrain low hill mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Total fertility rate - 6.22 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate - 23% (1995 est.)
Waterways - note:
ferry traffic on the Senegal River
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