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Compare Mauritania (2005) - Turks and Caicos Islands (2006)
Compare Mauritania (2005) z Turks and Caicos Islands (2006)
| Mauritania (2005) | Turks and Caicos Islands (2006) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| 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: 31.9% (male 3,432/female 3,312)
15-64 years: 64.4% (male 7,155/female 6,457) 65 years and over: 3.8% (male 362/female 434) (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep | corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), citrus fruits; fish |
| Airports | 24 (2004 est.) | 8 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
total: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
| 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: 2
under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
| Area | total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
total: 430 sq km
land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC |
| 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. | The islands were part of the UK's Jamaican colony until 1962, when they assumed the status of a separate crown colony upon Jamaica's independence. The governor of The Bahamas oversaw affairs from 1965 to 1973. With Bahamian independence, the islands received a separate governor in 1973. Although independence was agreed upon for 1982, the policy was reversed and the islands remain a British overseas territory. |
| Birth rate | 41.43 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 21.84 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) |
revenues: $47 million
expenditures: $33.6 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (1997-98 est.) |
| Capital | Nouakchott | name: Grand Turk (Cockburn Town)
geographic coordinates: 21 28 N, 71 08 W time difference: UTC-5 (same time as Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in April; ends last Sunday in October |
| Climate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty | tropical; marine; moderated by trade winds; sunny and relatively dry |
| Coastline | 754 km | 389 km |
| Constitution | 12 July 1991 | Turks and Caicos Islands Constitution Order 2006 (effective 9 August 2006) |
| 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: none
conventional short form: Turks and Caicos Islands abbreviation: TCI |
| Death rate | 12.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 4.21 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $2.5 billion (2000) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK |
| 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Disputes - international | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years | have received Haitians fleeing economic and civil disorder |
| Economic aid - recipient | $220 million (2000) | $4.1 million (1997) |
| 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. | The Turks and Caicos economy is based on tourism, fishing, and offshore financial services. Most capital goods and food for domestic consumption are imported. The US is the leading source of tourists, accounting for more than half of the annual 93,000 visitors in the late 1990s. Major sources of government revenue also include fees from offshore financial activities and customs receipts. |
| Electricity - consumption | 176.9 million kWh (2002) | 4.65 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 190.2 million kWh (2002) | 5 million kWh (2003) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m |
lowest point: Caribbean Sea 0 m
highest point: Blue Hills 49 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 | limited natural fresh water resources, private cisterns collect rainwater |
| 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 |
- |
| Ethnic groups | mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% | black 90%, mixed, European, or North American 10% |
| Exchange rates | ouguiyas per US dollar - NA(2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002), 255.63 (2001), 238.92 (2000) | the US dollar is used |
| 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: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor Richard TAUWHARE (since 11 July 2005)
head of government: Premier Michael Eugene MISICK (since 15 August 2003); note - the office of premier was created in the new constitution cabinet: Cabinet consists of the governor, the premier, six ministers appointed by the governor from among the members of the Legislative Council, and the attorney general elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor |
| Exports | NA | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold | lobster, dried and fresh conch, conch shells |
| 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, UK (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 | blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the colonial shield centered on the outer half of the flag; the shield is yellow and contains a conch shell, lobster, and cactus |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2004 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3% (2004 est.) | 4.9% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 20 00 N, 12 00 W | 21 45 N, 71 35 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 | about 40 islands (eight inhabited) |
| Highways | total: 7,660 km
paved: 866 km unpaved: 6,794 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% |
| Illicit drugs | - | transshipment point for South American narcotics destined for the US and Europe |
| Imports | NA | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods | food and beverages, tobacco, clothing, manufactures, construction materials |
| Imports - partners | France 14.1%, US 7.6%, China 6.4%, Spain 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Germany 4.3%, Belgium 4.2% (2004) | US, UK (2004) |
| Independence | 28 November 1960 (from France) | none (overseas territory of the UK) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2% (2000 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum | tourism, offshore financial services |
| 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: 15.18 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 17.55 deaths/1,000 live births female: 12.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2003 est.) | 4% (1995) |
| 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 | Caricom (associate), CDB, Interpol (subbureau), UPU |
| Irrigated land | 490 sq km (1998 est.) | NA |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts | Supreme Court; Court of Appeal |
| Labor force | 786,000 (2001) | 4,848 (1990 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 50%, industry 10%, services 40% (2001 est.) | note: about 33% in government and 20% in agriculture and fishing; significant numbers in tourism, financial, and other services |
| 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: 2.33%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.67% (2005) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof | English (official) |
| Legal system | a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law | based on laws of England and Wales, with a few adopted from Jamaica and The Bahamas |
| 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 |
unicameral Legislative Council (21 seats of which 15 are popularly elected; members serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 24 April 2003 (next to be held in 2007) election results: percent of vote by party - PDM 53.8%, PNP 46.2%; seats by party - PDM 7, PNP 6; note - in by-elections held 7 August 2003, the PNP gained two seats for a majority of 8 seats; PDM now has 5 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 52.73 years
male: 50.52 years female: 55 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 74.73 years
male: 72.48 years female: 77.08 years (2006 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 has ever attended school
total population: 98% male: 99% female: 98% (1970 est.) |
| Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara | Caribbean, two island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean, southeast of The Bahamas, north of Haiti |
| Map references | Africa | Central America and the Caribbean |
| 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 |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Military branches | Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes Naval Infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2005) | - |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $20.8 million (2004) | $192.8 million |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.7% (2004) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) | Constitution Day, 30 August (1976) |
| Nationality | noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian |
noun: none
adjective: none |
| Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts | frequent hurricanes |
| Natural resources | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish | spiny lobster, conch |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 10.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| People - note | - | destination and transit point for illegal Haitian immigrants bound for the Turks and Caicos Islands, The Bahamas, and US |
| 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 |
People's Democratic Movement or PDM [Derek H. TAYLOR]; Progressive National Party or PNP [Michael Eugene MISICK] |
| 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.) | 21,152 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 40% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.9% (2005 est.) | 2.82% (2006 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Nouadhibou, Nouakchott | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 2, FM 7, shortwave 0 (2004) |
| Railways | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2004) |
- |
| Religions | Muslim 100% | Baptist 40%, Anglican 18%, Methodist 16%, Church of God 12%, other 14% (1990) |
| 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: 1.11 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.83 male(s)/female total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2006 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: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat |
general assessment: fully digital system with international direct dialing
domestic: full range of services available; GSM wireless service available international: country code - 1-649; 2 submarine cables; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 31,500 (2002) | 5,700 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 300,000 (2003) | 1,700 (1999) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 0 (broadcasts from The Bahamas are received; 2 cable television networks) (2004) |
| Terrain | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills | low, flat limestone; extensive marshes and mangrove swamps |
| Total fertility rate | 5.94 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 3.05 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 20% (2004 est.) | 10% (1997 est.) |
| Waterways | some ferry traffic on Senegal River (2004) | - |
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