Compare Mauritania (2002) - Oman (2008)

Compare Mauritania (2002) z Oman (2008)

	Mauritania (2002)	Oman (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	5 regions (manatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 4 governorates* (muhafazat, singular - muhafazat) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Buraymi, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam, Zufar (Dhofar)
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: 42.7% (male 698,461/female 670,793) 15-64 years: 54.6% (male 1,026,686/female 723,712) 65 years and over: 2.7% (male 47,534/female 37,711) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep	dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Airports	26 (2001)	137 (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: 7 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (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: 130 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 8 1,524 to 2,437 m: 51 914 to 1,523 m: 35 under 914 m: 34 (2007)
Area	total: 1,030,700 sq km land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km	total: 212,460 sq km land: 212,460 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico	slightly smaller than Kansas
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 inhabitants of the area of Oman have long prospered on Indian Ocean trade. In the late 18th century, a newly established sultanate in Muscat signed the first in a series of friendship treaties with Britain. Over time, Oman's dependence on British political and military advisors increased, but it never became a British colony. In 1970, QABOOS bin Said al-Said overthrew the restrictive rule of his father; he has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world while preserving the longstanding close ties with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
Birth rate	42.54 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)	35.76 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: $421 million expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million	revenues: $13.82 billion expenditures: $13.67 billion (2007 est.)
Capital	Nouakchott	name: Muscat geographic coordinates: 23 37 N, 58 35 E time difference: UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty	dry desert; hot, humid along coast; hot, dry interior; strong southwest summer monsoon (May to September) in far south
Coastline	754 km	2,092 km
Constitution	12 July 1991	none; note - on 6 November 1996, Sultan QABOOS issued a royal decree promulgating a basic law considered by the government to be a constitution which, among other things, clarifies the royal succession, provides for a prime minister, bars ministers from holding interests in companies doing business with the government, establishes a bicameral legislature, and guarantees basic civil liberties for Omani citizens
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: Sultanate of Oman conventional short form: Oman local long form: Saltanat Uman local short form: Uman former: Muscat and Oman
Currency	ouguiya (MRO)	-
Death rate	13.34 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)	3.78 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	$1.6 billion (2000) (2000)	$3.483 billion (31 December 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 Gary A. GRAPPO embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 24-643-400 FAX: [968] 24-699771
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 Hunaina bint Sultan bin Ahmad al-MUGHAIRI chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933
Disputes - international	none	boundary agreement reportedly signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah exclave, but details of the alignment have not been made public
Economic aid - recipient	$220 million (2000) (2000)	$30.68 million (2005)
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.	Oman is a middle-income economy that is heavily dependent on dwindling oil resources, but sustained high oil prices in recent years have helped build Oman's budget and trade surpluses and foreign reserves. Oman joined the World Trade Organization in November 2000 and continues to liberalize its markets. It ratified a free trade agreement with the US in September 2006, and, through the Gulf Cooperation Council, seeks similar agreements with the EU, China and Japan. As a result of its dwindling oil resources, Oman is actively pursuing a development plan that focuses on diversification, industrialization, and privatization, with the objective of reducing the oil sector's contribution to GDP to 9 percent by 2020. Muscat is attempting to "Omanize" the labor force by replacing foreign expatriate workers with local workers. Oman actively seeks private foreign investors, especially in the industrial, information technology, tourism, and higher education fields. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources, metal manufacturing, petrochemicals, and international transshipment ports.
Electricity - consumption	143.22 million kWh (2000)	8.661 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2000)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	154 million kWh (2000)	11.89 billion 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: Arabian Sea 0 m highest point: Jabal Shams 2,980 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	rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
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, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups	mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%	Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
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)	Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2007), 0.3845 (2006), 0.3845 (2005), 0.3845 (2004), 0.3845 (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: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said al-Said (sultan since 23 July 1970 and prime minister since 23 July 1972) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Exports	$359 million f.o.b. (2000)	733,100 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	iron ore, fish and fish products, gold	petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Exports - partners	France 18%, Japan 16%, Italy 13%, Spain 10% (2000)	China 23.6%, South Korea 17.9%, Japan 10.9%, Thailand 10.7%, South Africa 7.7%, UAE 6.3% (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	three horizontal bands of white, red, and green of equal width with a broad, vertical, red band on the hoist side; the national emblem (a khanjar dagger in its sheath superimposed on two crossed swords in scabbards) in white is centered near the top of the vertical band
GDP	purchasing power parity - $5 billion (2001 est.)	-
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 25% industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 2.2% industry: 38.3% services: 59.5% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2001 est.)	-
GDP - real growth rate	4% (2001 est.)	5.3% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	20 00 N, 12 00 W	21 00 N, 57 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	strategic location on Musandam Peninsula adjacent to Strait of Hormuz, a vital transit point for world crude oil
Heliports	-	2 (2007)
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%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	$335 million f.o.b. (2000)	15,440 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports - partners	France 33%, US 10%, Spain 9%, Algeria 6%, Germany 6%, Benelux 5% (2000)	UAE 22.4%, Japan 16.4%, US 8.1%, Germany 5.5%, India 4.3% (2006)
Independence	28 November 1960 (from France)	1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Industrial production growth rate	2% (2000 est.)	3.2% (2007 est.)
Industries	fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum	crude oil production and refining, natural and liquefied natural gas (LNG) production; construction, cement, copper, steel, chemicals, optic fiber
Infant mortality rate	75.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)	total: 18.28 deaths/1,000 live births male: 20.96 deaths/1,000 live births female: 15.46 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	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	5 (2001)	-
Irrigated land	490 sq km (1998 est.)	720 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts	Supreme Court note: the nascent civil court system, administered by region, has judges who practice secular and Shari'a law
Labor force	786,000 (2001) (2001)	920,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture 50%, services 40%, industry 10% (2001 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
Land boundaries	total: 5,074 km border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km	total: 1,374 km border countries: Saudi Arabia 676 km, UAE 410 km, Yemen 288 km
Land use	arable land: 0.48% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (1998 est.)	arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2005)
Languages	Hassaniya Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, Wolof (official), French	Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Legal system	a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law	based on English common law and Islamic law; ultimate appeal to the monarch; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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	bicameral Majlis Oman consists of Majlis al-Dawla or upper chamber (70 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and Majlis al-Shura or lower chamber (84 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers) elections: last held 27 October 2007 (next to be held in 2011) election results: new candidates won 46 seats and 38 members of the outgoing Majlis kept their positions; none of the 20 female candidates were elected
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 51.53 years male: 49.42 years female: 53.71 years (2002 est.)	total population: 73.62 years male: 71.37 years female: 75.99 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: NA total population: 81.4% male: 86.8% female: 73.5% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara	Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
Map references	Africa	Middle East
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	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	none (2002)	total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 12,155 GRT/7,244 DWT by type: chemical tanker 1, passenger 1 registered in other countries: 1 (Panama 1) (2007)
Military branches	Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard	Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF): Royal Army of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman, Royal Air Force of Oman (Al-Quwwat al-Jawwiya al-Sultanat Oman, RAFO) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	$37.1 million (FY01)	-
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	3.7% (FY01)	11.4% (2005 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)	Birthday of Sultan QABOOS, 18 November (1940)
Nationality	noun: Mauritanian(s) adjective: Mauritanian	noun: Omani(s) adjective: Omani
Natural hazards	hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts	summer winds often raise large sandstorms and dust storms in interior; periodic droughts
Natural resources	iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil; fish	petroleum, copper, asbestos, some marble, limestone, chromium, gypsum, natural gas
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)	0.36 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 4,126 km; oil 3,558 km (2007)
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	none
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]	none
Population	2,828,858 (July 2002 est.)	3,204,897 note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	50% (2001 est.)	NA%
Population growth rate	2.92% (2002 est.)	3.234% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)	AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
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%	Ibadhi Muslim 75%, other (includes Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu) 25%
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: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.041 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.419 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.26 male(s)/female total population: 1.238 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	21 years of age; universal; note - members of the military and security forces are not allowed to vote
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: modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable domestic: fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing; open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations international: country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use	26,500 (2001)	278,300 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	35,000 (2001)	1.818 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	13 (plus 25 repeaters) (1999)
Terrain	mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills	central desert plain, rugged mountains in north and south
Total fertility rate	6.15 children born/woman (2002 est.)	5.7 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	21% (1999 est.)	15% (2004 est.)
Waterways	note: ferry traffic on the Senegal River	-

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