Compare Mauritania (2002) - Central African Republic (2008)

Compare Mauritania (2002) z Central African Republic (2008)

	Mauritania (2002)	Central African Republic (2008)

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	14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere, Vakaga
Age structure	0-14 years: 46.1% (male 653,005; female 650,530) 15-64 years: 51.7% (male 720,473; female 741,094) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 26,251; female 37,505) (2002 est.)	0-14 years: 41.6% (male 914,566/female 903,849) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 1,174,520/female 1,195,364) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 71,355/female 109,384) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep	timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber
Airports	26 (2001)	51 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 10 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 6 (2002)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 16 17 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 5 914 to 1,523 m: 6 7 under 914 m: 6 3 (2002)	total: 48 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 13 (2007)
Area	total: 1,030,700 sq km land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km	total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico	slightly smaller than Texas
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 flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. 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.	The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist. Unrest in neighboring nations, Chad, Sudan, and the DRC, continues to affect stability in the Central African Republic as well.
Birth rate	42.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	33.52 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $421 million expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million	revenues: $250 million expenditures: $273 million (2007 est.)
Capital	Nouakchott	name: Bangui geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty	tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Coastline	754 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	12 July 1991	ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004
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: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR
Currency	ouguiya (MRO)	-
Death rate	13.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	18.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$1.6 billion (2000) (2000)	$1.153 billion (2007 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador John W. LIMBERT embassy: Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222] 25-26-60, 25-26-63, 25-11-41, 25-11-45 FAX: [222] 25-25-92	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mohamedou Ould MICHEL chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623	chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893
Disputes - international	none	periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist
Economic aid - recipient	$220 million (2000) (2000)	ODA, $95.29 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2005 est.)
Economy - overview	Half 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 resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. 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. Mauritania withdrew its membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2000 and subsequently increased commercial ties with Arab Maghreb Union members Morocco and Tunisia, most notably in telecommunications. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential viable extraction at current world oil prices. However, the refinery in Nouadhibou historically has not exceeded 20% of its distillation capacity, and it handled no crude in the year 2000. A new Investment Code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment.	Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 40%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.
Electricity - consumption	143.22 million kWh (2000)	101.4 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	154 million kWh (2000)	109 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source	fossil fuel: 84% hydro: 16% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000)	-
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m highest point: Kediet Ijill 910 m	lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 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	tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; deforestation
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%	Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%
Exchange rates	ouguiyas per US dollar - 254.350 (December 2001), 238.923 (2000), 209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998), 151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 481.8 (2007), 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984) head of government: Prime Minister Cheikh 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 Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with 90.9% of the vote	chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) head of government: Prime Minister Faustin-Archange TOUADERA (since 22 January 2008) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4%
Exports	$359 million f.o.b. (2000)	0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	iron ore, fish and fish products, gold	diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Exports - partners	France 18%, Japan 16%, Italy 13%, Spain 10% (2000)	Belgium 30.7%, Spain 10.7%, Indonesia 8%, France 7.8%, China 6.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6%, Turkey 5%, Italy 4.7% (2006)
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	four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 25% industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2001 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	4% (2001 est.)	4% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	20 00 N, 12 00 W	7 00 N, 21 00 E
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	landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
Highways	total: 7,720 km paved: 830 km unpaved: 6,890 km (2000)	-
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 3% highest 10%: 30% (2000) (2000)	lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)
Imports	$335 million f.o.b. (2000)	2,201 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods	food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners	France 33%, US 10%, Spain 9%, Algeria 6%, Germany 6%, Benelux 5% (2000)	France 15.4%, Netherlands 15.1%, US 9.2%, Cameroon 8.9% (2006)
Independence	28 November 1960 (from France)	13 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	2% (2000 est.)	3% (2002)
Industries	fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum	gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Infant mortality rate	75.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 83.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 90.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 77.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	4.4% (2001 est.)	4% (2007 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	5 (2001)	-
Irrigated land	490 sq km (1998 est.)	20 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts
Labor force	786,000 (2001) (2001)	1.857 million (2006)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 50%, services 40%, industry 10% (2001 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: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km
Land use	arable land: 0.48% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (1998 est.)	arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005)
Languages	Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (official), French	French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Legal system	a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law	based on French law
Legislative branch	bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats, a part of the 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 (81 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 12 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2004); National Assembly - last held 19 and 26 October 2001 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRDS 54, RFD 1, UNDD 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PRDS 79%, RDU 3.5%, UDP 3.5%, AC 5%, RDF 4%, UFP 3.5%, FP 1.5%; seats by party - PRDS 64, UDP 3, RDU 3, AC 4, RFD 3, UFP 3, and FP 1	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 51.53 years male: 49.42 years female: 53.71 years (2002 est.)	total population: 43.74 years male: 43.69 years female: 43.79 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 41.2% male: 51.5% female: 31.3% (2002 est.)	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51% male: 63.3% female: 39.9% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara	Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Map references	Africa	Africa
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	none (landlocked)
Merchant marine	none (2002)	-
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard	Central African Armed Forces (Forces Armees Centrafricaines, FACA): Ground Forces, General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG), Military Air Service, National Police (2008)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$37.1 million (FY01)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	3.7% (FY01)	1.1% (2006 est.)
Military manpower - availability	males age 15-49: 644,294 (2002 est.)	-
Military manpower - fit for military service	males age 15-49: 312,276 (2002 est.)	-
National holiday	Independence Day, 28 November (1960)	Republic Day, 1 December (1958)
Nationality	noun: Mauritanian(s) adjective: Mauritanian	noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts	hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
Natural resources	iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil; fish	diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders	Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Kebe ABDOULAYE]; Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President 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 MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS] note: the Action for Change party was banned in January 2002; parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based	Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Ange-Felix PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or KNK; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]
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]	NA
Population	2,828,858 (July 2002 est.)	4,369,038 note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	50% (2001 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	2.92% (2002 est.)	1.505% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)
Radios	410,000 (2001)	-
Railways	704 km standard gauge: 704 km 1.435-m gauge note: owned and operated by government mining company (2001)	-
Religions	Muslim 100%	indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
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: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2002 est.)	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.652 male(s)/female total population: 0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	21 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: limited telephone service; fixed-line connections for well less than 1 per 100 persons coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 3 per 100 persons domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use	26,500 (2001)	10,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	35,000 (2001)	100,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	1 (2001)
Terrain	mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills	vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Total fertility rate	6.15 children born/woman (2002 est.)	4.32 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	21% (1999 est.)	8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Waterways	note: ferry traffic on the Senegal River	2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2006)

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