Mauritania (2005) | Fiji (2005) | |
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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 | 4 divisions and 1 dependency*; Central, Eastern, Northern, Rotuma*, Western |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 45.8% (male 707,728/female 704,616)
15-64 years: 52% (male 792,589/female 813,763) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 27,560/female 40,603) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 31.4% (male 143,066/female 137,346)
15-64 years: 64.5% (male 288,434/female 287,720) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 16,797/female 19,991) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep | sugarcane, coconuts, cassava (tapioca), rice, sweet potatoes, bananas; cattle, pigs, horses, goats; fish |
Airports | 24 (2004 est.) | 28 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
total: 3
over 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
total: 25
914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 19 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
total: 18,270 sq km
land: 18,270 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
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. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA siezed power in a coup in 1984. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions. For now, however, Mauritania remains, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black population and the Maur (Arab-Berber) populace. | Fiji became independent in 1970, after nearly a century as a British colony. Democratic rule was interrupted by two military coups in 1987, caused by concern over a government perceived as dominated by the Indian community (descendants of contract laborers brought to the islands by the British in the 19th century). A 1990 constitution favored native Melanesian control of Fiji, but led to heavy Indian emigration; the population loss resulted in economic difficulties, but ensured that Melanesians became the majority. Amendments enacted in 1997 made the constitution more equitable. Free and peaceful elections in 1999 resulted in a government led by an Indo-Fijian, but a coup in May 2000 ushered in a prolonged period of political turmoil. Parliamentary elections held in August 2001 provided Fiji with a democratically elected government and gave a mandate to the government of Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE. |
Birth rate | 41.43 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 22.73 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) |
revenues: $427.9 million
expenditures: $531.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2000 est.) |
Capital | Nouakchott | Suva (Viti Levu) |
Climate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty | tropical marine; only slight seasonal temperature variation |
Coastline | 754 km | 1,129 km |
Constitution | 12 July 1991 | promulgated on 25 July 1990; amended on 25 July 1997 to allow nonethnic Fijians greater say in government and to make multiparty government mandatory; effective 28 July 1998 |
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: Republic of the Fiji Islands
conventional short form: Fiji |
Death rate | 12.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 5.65 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.5 billion (2000) | $188.1 million (2001 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Joseph E. LEBARON
embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663 FAX: [222] 25-25-92 |
chief of mission: Ambassador David L. LYON
embassy: 31 Loftus Street, Suva mailing address: P. O. Box 218, Suva telephone: [679] 331-4466 FAX: [679] 330-0081 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould KERIM
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623 |
chief of mission: Mr. Paula NAVUNISARAVI (Charge D'Affaires ad Interim)
chancery: 2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 240, Washington, DC 20007 telephone: [1] (202) 337-8320 FAX: [1] (202) 337-1996 |
Disputes - international | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $220 million (2000) | $40.3 million (1995) |
Economy - overview | Half the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though many of the nomads and subsistence farmers were forced into the cities by recurrent droughts in the 1970s and 1980s. Mauritania has extensive deposits of iron ore, which account for nearly 40% of total exports. The decline in world demand for this ore, however, has led to cutbacks in production. The nation's coastal waters are among the richest fishing areas in the world, but overexploitation by foreigners threatens this key source of revenue. The country's first deepwater port opened near Nouakchott in 1986. In the past, drought and economic mismanagement resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. 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. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. A new investment code approved in December 2001 improved the opportunities for direct foreign investment. Ongoing negotiations with the IMF involve problems of economic reforms and fiscal discipline. Substantial oil production and exports probably will not begin until 2006. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy. | Fiji, endowed with forest, mineral, and fish resources, is one of the most developed of the Pacific island economies, though still with a large subsistence sector. Sugar exports and a growing tourist industry - with 300,000 to 400,000 tourists annually - are the major sources of foreign exchange. Sugar processing makes up one-third of industrial activity, but is inefficient. Long-term problems include low investment, uncertain land ownership rights, and the government's ability to manage its budget. Yet short-run economic prospects are good, provided tensions do not again erupt between indigenous Fijians and Indo-Fijians. Overseas remittances from Fijians working in Kuwait and Iraq have increased significantly. |
Electricity - consumption | 176.9 million kWh (2002) | 697.5 million kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 190.2 million kWh (2002) | 750 million kWh (2002) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Tomanivi 1,324 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; locust infestation | deforestation; soil erosion |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% | Fijian 51% (predominantly Melanesian with a Polynesian admixture), Indian 44%, European, other Pacific Islanders, overseas Chinese, and other 5% (1998 est.) |
Exchange rates | ouguiyas per US dollar - NA(2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002), 255.63 (2001), 238.92 (2000) | Fijian dollars per US dollar - 1.7331 (2004), 1.8958 (2003), 2.1869 (2002), 2.2766 (2001), 2.1286 (2000) |
Executive branch | chief of state: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984); note - President TAYA deposed in a coup by the Military Council for Justice and Democracy led by Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL on 3 August 2005
head of government: Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould BOUBAKAR (since 8 August 2005) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held NA 2009); prime minister appointed by the president election results: President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected for a third term with 60.8% of the vote |
chief of state: President Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda (since 18 July 2000)
head of government: Prime Minister Laisenia QARASE (since 10 September 2000) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister from among the members of Parliament and is responsible to Parliament; note - there is also a Presidential Council that advises the president on matters of national importance and a Great Council of Chiefs, which consists of the highest ranking members of the traditional chief system elections: president elected by the Great Council of Chiefs for a five-year term; prime minister appointed by the president election results: Ratu Josefa ILOILOVATU Uluivuda elected president by the Great Council of Chiefs; percent of vote - NA% |
Exports | NA | NA |
Exports - commodities | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold | sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil |
Exports - partners | Japan 13.1%, France 11%, Spain 9.7%, Germany 9.7%, Italy 9.6%, Belgium 7.5%, China 6.1%, Russia 4.6%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.1% (2004) | US 24%, Australia 19%, UK 12.6%, Samoa 6.5%, Japan 4.1% (2004) |
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 | light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Fijian shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield depicts a yellow lion above a white field quartered by the cross of Saint George featuring stalks of sugarcane, a palm tree, bananas, and a white dove |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: 16.6%
industry: 22.4% services: 61% (2001 est.) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $5,900 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2004 est.) | 3.6% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 20 00 N, 12 00 W | 18 00 S, 175 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 | includes 332 islands of which approximately 110 are inhabited |
Highways | total: 7,660 km
paved: 866 km unpaved: 6,794 km (1999 est.) |
total: 3,440 km
paved: 1,692 km unpaved: 1,748 km (1999 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2000) |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
Imports | NA | NA |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods | manufactured goods, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products, food, chemicals |
Imports - partners | France 14.1%, US 7.6%, China 6.4%, Spain 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Germany 4.3%, Belgium 4.2% (2004) | Australia 25.9%, Singapore 23.1%, New Zealand 21.1% (2004) |
Independence | 28 November 1960 (from France) | 10 October 1970 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 2% (2000 est.) | NA |
Industries | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum | tourism, sugar, clothing, copra, gold, silver, lumber, small cottage industries |
Infant mortality rate | total: 70.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 73.81 deaths/1,000 live births female: 67.89 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
total: 12.62 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 13.97 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2003 est.) | 1.6% (2002 est.) |
International organization participation | ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | ACP, AsDB, C, CP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, OPCW, PCA, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIK, UNMISET, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
Irrigated land | 490 sq km (1998 est.) | 30 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts | Supreme Court (judges are appointed by the president); Court of Appeal; High Court; Magistrates' Courts |
Labor force | 786,000 (2001) | 137,000 (1999) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 50%, industry 10%, services 40% (2001 est.) | agriculture, including subsistence agriculture 70% (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 |
0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (2001) |
arable land: 10.95%
permanent crops: 4.65% other: 84.4% (2001) |
Languages | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof | English (official), Fijian, Hindustani |
Legal system | a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law | based on British system |
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 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held April 2006); 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 - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - PRDS 79%, RDU 3.5%, UDP 3.5%, AC 5%, 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 Parliament consists of the Senate (34 seats; 24 appointed by the President on the advice of the Great Council of Chiefs, nine appointed by the president, and one appointed by the council of Rotuma) and the House of Representatives (71 seats; 23 reserved for ethnic Fijians, 19 reserved for ethnic Indians, three reserved for other ethnic groups, one reserved for the council of Rotuma constituency encompassing the whole of Fiji, and 25 open seats; members serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Representatives - last held 25 August through 1 September and 19 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2006) election results: House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - FLP 26.5%, SDL 27.5%, NFP 1.2%, MV 4.2%, NLUP 1.3%, UGP .3%, independents 1.4%; seats by party - FLP 27, SDL 32, MV 6, NFP 1, NLUP 2, UGP 1, independents 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 52.73 years
male: 50.52 years female: 55 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 69.53 years
male: 67.05 years female: 72.14 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 41.7% male: 51.8% female: 31.9% (2003 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 93.7% male: 95.5% female: 91.9% (2003 est.) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara | Oceania, island group in the South Pacific Ocean, about two-thirds of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
Map references | Africa | Oceania |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
measured from claimed archipelagic straight baselines
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation; rectilinear shelf claim added |
Merchant marine | - | total: 7 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 6,372 GRT/7,453 DWT
by type: passenger 3, passenger/cargo 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 1 (Australia 1) (2005) |
Military branches | Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes Naval Infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005) | Republic of Fiji Military Forces (RFMF): Land Forces, Naval Division (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $20.8 million (2004) | $36 million (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.7% (2004) | 2.2% (FY02) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) | Independence Day, second Monday of October (1970) |
Nationality | noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian |
noun: Fijian(s)
adjective: Fijian |
Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts | cyclonic storms can occur from November to January |
Natural resources | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish | timber, fish, gold, copper, offshore oil potential, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -3.04 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; 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 although its members were permitted to keep their seats in the National Assembly; parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991, however, politics continue to be tribally based |
Bai Kei Viti Party or BKV [Ratu Tevita MOMOEDONU]; Conservative Alliance Party/Matanitu Vanua or MV [Ratu Rakuita VAKALALABURE]; Dodonu Ni Taukei Party or DNT [Fereti S. DEWA]; Fiji Democratic Party or FDP [Felipe BOLE] (a merger of the Christian Democrat Alliance or VLV [Poesci Waqalevu BUNE], Fijian Association Party or FAP [Adi Kuini SPEED], Fijian Political Party or SVT (primarily Fijian) [Felipe BOLE], and New Labor Unity Party or NLUP [Tupeni BABA]); Fiji Labor Party or FLP [Mahendra CHAUDRHRY]; General Voters Party or GVP [leader NA] (became part of United General Party); Girmit Heritage Party or GHP [leader NA]; Justice and Freedom Party or AIM [leader NA]; Lio 'On Famor Rotuma Party or LFR [leader NA]; National Federation Party or NFP (primarily Indian) [Pramond RAE]; Nationalist Vanua Takolavo Party or NVTLP [Saula TELAWA]; Party of National Unity or PANU [Meli BOGILEKA]; Party of the Truth or POTT [leader NA]; United Fiji Party/Sogosogo Duavata ni Lewenivanua or SDL [Laisenia QARASE]; United General Party or UGP [Millis Mick BEDDOES] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Arab nationalists; Ba'thists; General Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CGTM [Abdallahi Ould MOHAMED, secretary general]; Independent Confederation of Mauritanian Workers or CLTM [Samory Ould BEYE]; Islamists; Mauritanian Workers Union or UTM [Mohamed Ely Ould BRAHIM, secretary general] | NA |
Population | 3,086,859 (July 2005 est.) | 893,354 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 40% (2004 est.) | 25.5% (1990-91) |
Population growth rate | 2.9% (2005 est.) | 1.4% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Nouadhibou, Nouakchott | Lambasa, Lautoka, Suva |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 13, FM 40, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Railways | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2004) |
total: 597 km
narrow gauge: 597 km 0.600-m gauge note: belongs to the government-owned Fiji Sugar Corporation; used to haul sugarcane during harvest season (May to December) (2003) |
Religions | Muslim 100% | Christian 52% (Methodist 37%, Roman Catholic 9%), Hindu 38%, Muslim 8%, other 2%
note: Fijians are mainly Christian, Indians are Hindu, and there is a Muslim minority (1986) |
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: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2005 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: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat |
general assessment: modern local, interisland, and international (wire/radio integrated) public and special-purpose telephone, telegraph, and teleprinter facilities; regional radio communications center
domestic: NA international: country code - 679; access to important cable links between US and Canada as well as between NZ and Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 31,500 (2002) | 102,000 (2003) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 300,000 (2003) | 109,900 (2003) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | NA |
Terrain | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills | mostly mountains of volcanic origin |
Total fertility rate | 5.94 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 2.75 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20% (2004 est.) | 7.6% (1999) |
Waterways | some ferry traffic on Senegal River (2004) | 203 km
note: 122 km navigable by motorized craft and 200-metric-ton barges (2004) |