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Compare Mauritania (2001) - Spain (2001)

Compare Mauritania (2001) z Spain (2001)

 Mauritania (2001)Spain (2001)
 MauritaniaSpain
Administrative divisions 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 17 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)

note:
there are five places of sovereignty on and off the coast of Morocco: Ceuta and Melilla are administered as autonomous communities; Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera are under direct Spanish administration
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.)
0-14 years:
14.62% (male 3,015,851; female 2,835,763)

15-64 years:
68.2% (male 13,701,065; female 13,605,314)

65 years and over:
17.18% (male 2,881,334; female 3,998,668) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish
Airports 26 (2000 est.) 110 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
5 (2000 est.)
total:
75

over 3,047 m:
15

2,438 to 3,047 m:
10

1,524 to 2,437 m:
18

914 to 1,523 m:
19

under 914 m:
13 (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.)
total:
35

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
9

under 914 m:
25 (2000 est.)
Area total:
1,030,700 sq km

land:
1,030,400 sq km

water:
300 sq km
total:
504,782 sq km

land:
499,542 sq km

water:
5,240 sq km

note:
includes Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, and five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - Ceuta, Melilla, Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
Area - comparative slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico slightly more than twice the size of Oregon
Background 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. Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating Civil War (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, it has played a catch-up role in the western international community. Continuing concerns are large-scale unemployment and the Basque separatist movement.
Birth rate 42.95 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 9.26 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget revenues:
$329 million

expenditures:
$265 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1996 est.)
revenues:
$105 billion

expenditures:
$109 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2000 est.)
Capital Nouakchott Madrid
Climate desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast
Coastline 754 km 4,964 km
Constitution 12 July 1991 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978
Country name conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Mauritania

conventional short form:
Mauritania

local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah

local short form:
Muritaniyah
conventional long form:
Kingdom of Spain

conventional short form:
Spain

local short form:
Espana
Currency ouguiya (MRO) Spanish peseta (ESP); euro (EUR)

note:
on 1 January 1999, the EU introduced the euro as a common currency that is now being used by financial institutions in Spain at a fixed rate of 166.386 Spanish pesetas per euro and will replace the local currency for all transactions in 2002
Death rate 13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external $2.1 billion (1999) $90 billion (1993 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US 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
chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward L. ROMERO

embassy:
Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid

mailing address:
APO AE 09642

telephone:
[34] (91) 587-2200

FAX:
[34] (91) 587-2303

consulate(s) general:
Barcelona
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
chief of mission:
Ambassador Francisco Javier RUPEREZ

chancery:
2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037

telephone:
[1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340

FAX:
[1] (202) 833-5670

consulate(s) general:
Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Disputes - international none Gibraltar issue with UK; Spain controls five places of sovereignty (plazas de soberania) on and off the coast of Morocco - the coastal enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, which Morocco contests, as well as the islands of Penon de Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and Islas Chafarinas
Economic aid - donor - ODA, $1.3 billion (1995)
Economic aid - recipient $300 million (1998) -
Economy - overview 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. Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment has been steadily falling under the AZNAR administration but remains the highest in the EU at 14%. The government intends to make further progress in changing labor laws and reforming pension schemes, which are key to the sustainability of both Spain's internal economic advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe - and further reducing unemployment - will pose challenges to Spain in the next few years.
Electricity - consumption 140.4 million kWh (1999) 189.57 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 6.23 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 11.945 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production 151 million kWh (1999) 197.694 billion kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
82.78%

hydro:
17.22%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel:
57.71%

hydro:
12.1%

nuclear:
28.28%

other:
1.91% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m

highest point:
Kediet Ijill 910 m
lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m

highest point:
Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
Environment - current issues 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 pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification
Environment - international agreements 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
party to:
Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
Ethnic groups mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30% composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types
Exchange rates ouguiyas per US dollar - 250.870 (December 2000), 238.923 (2000), 209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998), 151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996) euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); pesetas per US dollar - 149.40 (1998), 146.41 (1997), 126.66 (1996)
Executive branch 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
chief of state:
King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968

head of government:
President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President Juan Jose LUCAS (since 28 February 2000) and Second Vice President (and Minister of Economy) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 5 May 1996)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers designated by the president

note:
there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government

elections:
the monarch is hereditary; president proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections; election last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on proposal of the president

election results:
Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 44%
Exports $333 million (f.o.b., 1999) $120.5 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Exports - commodities iron ore, fish and fish products, gold machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, other consumer goods
Exports - partners Japan 18%, France 17%, Italy 16%, Spain 11% (1998) EU 71% (France 20%, Germany 12%, Italy 9%, Portugal 9%, UK 8%), Latin America 6%, US 5% (2000)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description 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 three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar
GDP purchasing power parity - $5.4 billion (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $720.8 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
25%

industry:
31%

services:
44% (1997)
agriculture:
4%

industry:
31%

services:
65% (1999)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.) purchasing power parity - $18,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5% (2000 est.) 4% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 20 00 N, 12 00 W 40 00 N, 4 00 W
Geography - note most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar
Heliports - 2 (2000 est.)
Highways total:
7,660 km

paved:
866 km

unpaved:
6,794 km (1996)
total:
346,858 km

paved:
343,389 km (including 9,063 km of expressways)

unpaved:
3,469 km (1997)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
2.3%

highest 10%:
29.9% (1995)
lowest 10%:
2.8%

highest 10%:
25.2% (1990)
Illicit drugs - key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; transshipment point for and consumer of Southwest Asian heroin
Imports $305 million (f.o.b., 1999) $153.9 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997)
Imports - partners France 27%, Benelux 9%, Germany 7%, Spain 7% (1998) EU 68% (France 18%, Germany 16%, Italy 9%, UK 7%, Benelux 8%), US 8%, OPEC 5%, Latin America 4%, Japan 3% (1999)
Independence 28 November 1960 (from France) 1492 (expulsion of the Moors and unification)
Industrial production growth rate 2.2% (1999) 4.5% (2000 est.)
Industries fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism
Infant mortality rate 76.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) 4.92 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 4.5% (2000 est.) 3.4% (2000 est.)
International organization participation 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 AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CCC, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNTAET, UNU, UPU, WCL, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 5 (2000) 56 (2000)
Irrigated land 490 sq km (1993 est.) 34,530 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo
Labor force 750,000 (1999) 17 million (2000)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 47%, services 39%, industry 14% services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 28%, agriculture 8% (1997 est.)
Land boundaries total:
5,074 km

border countries:
Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km
total:
1,917.8 km

border countries:
Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
Land use arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
38%

forests and woodland:
4%

other:
58% (1993 est.)
arable land:
30%

permanent crops:
9%

permanent pastures:
21%

forests and woodland:
32%

other:
8% (1993 est.)
Languages Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French Castilian Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%
Legal system a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch 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
bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)

elections:
Senate - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PP 127, PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%, IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE 125, CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5
Life expectancy at birth total population:
51.14 years

male:
49.06 years

female:
53.29 years (2001 est.)
total population:
78.93 years

male:
75.47 years

female:
82.62 years (2001 est.)
Literacy definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
46.7%

male:
53.4%

female:
40% (1998 est.)
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
97%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France
Map references Africa Europe
Maritime claims 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
contiguous zone:
24 NM

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine none (2000 est.) total:
135 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,208,730 GRT/1,773,378 DWT

ships by type:
bulk 10, cargo 26, chemical tanker 10, container 9, liquefied gas 2, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 24, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 35, short-sea passenger 8, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 3 (2000 est.)
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure $41 million (FY97/98) $6 billion (FY97)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 2.7% (FY97/98) 1.1% (FY97)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
624,375 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
10,551,945 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
302,699 (2001 est.)
males age 15-49:
8,448,150 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - military age - 20 years of age
Military manpower - reaching military age annually - males:
281,043 (2001 est.)
National holiday Independence Day, 28 November (1960) Hispanic Day, 12 October
Nationality noun:
Mauritanian(s)

adjective:
Mauritanian
noun:
Spaniard(s)

adjective:
Spanish
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts periodic droughts
Natural resources iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) 0.87 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Pipelines - crude oil 265 km; petroleum products 1,794 km; natural gas 1,666 km
Political parties and leaders 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
Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Xabier ARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi PUJOL i Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Jordi PUJOL i Soley] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Xose Manuel BEIRAS]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis Rodriguez ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES]
Political pressure groups and leaders 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] business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; Euskal Herritarok or EH [Herri BATASUNA]; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); on the extreme left, the Basque Fatherland and Liberty or ETA and the First of October Antifascist Resistance Group or GRAPO use terrorism to oppose the government; Opus Dei; Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university students; Workers Confederation or CC.OO
Population 2,747,312 (July 2001 est.) 40,037,995 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line 50% (1996 est.) NA%
Population growth rate 2.93% (2001 est.) 0.1% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 360,000 (1997) 13.1 million (1997)
Railways total:
750 km (single track); note - owned and operated by government mining company

standard gauge:
750 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)
total:
13,950 km

broad gauge:
12,781 km 1.668-m gauge (6,358 km electrified; 2,295 km double track)

standard gauge:
525 km 1.435-m gauge (525 km electrified)

narrow gauge:
644 km 1.000-m gauge (438 km electrified) (1998)
Religions Muslim 100% Roman Catholic 99%, other 1%
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.)
at birth:
1.07 male(s)/female

under 15 years:
1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:
1.01 male(s)/female

65 years and over:
0.72 male(s)/female

total population:
0.96 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal
Telephone 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
general assessment:
generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons

domestic:
NA

international:
22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
Telephones - main lines in use 26,000 (2000) 17.336 million (1999)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 8.394 million (1999)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)

note:
these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)
Terrain mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north
Total fertility rate 6.22 children born/woman (2001 est.) 1.15 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate 23% (1995 est.) 14% (2000 est.)
Waterways note:
ferry traffic on the Senegal River
1,045 km (of minor economic importance)
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