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Compare Mauritania (2006) - Holy See (Vatican City) (2001)
Compare Mauritania (2006) z Holy See (Vatican City) (2001)
| Mauritania (2006) | Holy See (Vatican City) (2001) | |
 | -2001-bmala.jpg) | |
| 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 | - |
| Age structure | 0-14 years: 45.6% (male 726,376/female 723,013)
15-64 years: 52.2% (male 818,408/female 839,832) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 28,042/female 41,717) (2006 est.) |
- |
| Agriculture - products | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep | - |
| Airports | 25 (2006) | none |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2006) |
- |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 17
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
- |
| Area | total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
total:
0.44 sq km land: 0.44 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico | about 0.7 times the size of The Mall in 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 seized 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 and organized elections. For now, however, Mauritania remains an autocratic state, and the country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor (Arab-Berber) communities. | Popes in their secular role ruled much of the Italian peninsula for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when many of the Papal States were seized by the newly united Kingdom of Italy. In 1870, the pope's holdings were further circumscribed when Rome itself was annexed. Disputes between a series of "prisoner" popes and Italy were resolved in 1929 by three Lateran Treaties, which established the independent state of Vatican City and granted Roman Catholicism special status in Italy. In 1984, a concordat between the Vatican and Italy modified certain of the earlier treaty provisions, including the primacy of Roman Catholicism as the Italian state religion. Present concerns of the Holy See include the failing health of Pope John Paul II, interreligious dialogue and reconciliation, and the adjustment of church doctrine in an era of rapid change and globalization. About 1 billion people worldwide profess the Catholic faith. |
| Birth rate | 40.99 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
| Budget | revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million; including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) |
revenues:
$209.6 million expenditures: $198.5 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997) |
| Capital | name: Nouakchott
geographic coordinates: 18 06 N, 15 57 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Vatican City |
| Climate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty | temperate; mild, rainy winters (September to mid-May) with hot, dry summers (May to September) |
| Coastline | 754 km | 0 km (landlocked) |
| Constitution | 12 July 1991 | Apostolic Constitution of 1967 (effective 1 March 1968) |
| 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:
The Holy See (State of the Vatican City) conventional short form: Holy See (Vatican City) local long form: Santa Sede (Stato della Citta del Vaticano) local short form: Santa Sede (Citta del Vaticano) |
| Currency | - | Italian lira (ITL); euro (EUR) |
| Death rate | 12.16 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
| Debt - external | $2.5 billion (2000) | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Steven KOUTSIS
embassy: 288 Rue Abdallaye (between Presidency building and Spanish Embassy), Nouakchott mailing address: BP 222, Nouakchott telephone: [222] 525-2660/525-2663 FAX: [222] 525-1592 |
chief of mission:
Ambassador (vacant) embassy: Villa Domiziana, Via delle Terme Deciane 26, 00162 Rome mailing address: PSC 59, Box F, APO AE 09624 telephone: [39] (06) 4674-3428 FAX: [39] (06) 5758346 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Tijani Ould Mohamed EL KERIM
chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623 |
chief of mission:
Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Gabriele MONTALVO chancery: 3339 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 333-7121 |
| Disputes - international | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years | none |
| Economic aid - recipient | $305.7 million (2002) | none |
| 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 which now stands at more than three times the level of annual exports. 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. 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. In 2001, exploratory oil wells in tracts 80 km offshore indicated potential extraction at current world oil prices. Mauritania has an estimated 1 billion barrels of proved reserves. Substantial oil production and exports are scheduled to begin in early 2006 and may average 75,000 barrels per day for that year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy. | This unique, noncommercial economy is supported financially by contributions (known as Peter's Pence) from Roman Catholics throughout the world, the sale of postage stamps and tourist mementos, fees for admission to museums, and the sale of publications. The incomes and living standards of lay workers are comparable to, or somewhat better than, those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome. |
| Electricity - consumption | 172.6 million kWh (2003) | NA kWh |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy |
| Electricity - production | 185.6 million kWh (2003) | - |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA% |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m |
lowest point:
unnamed location 19 m highest point: unnamed location 75 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 | NA |
| 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:
none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution, Environmental Modification |
| Ethnic groups | mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% | Italians, Swiss, other |
| Exchange rates | ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2005), NA (2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002), 255.63 (2001) | euros per US dollar - 1.0659 (January 2001), 1.0854 (2000), 0.9386 (1999); Vatican lire per US dollar - 2,099 (2000), 1817.2 (1999), 1,736.2 (1998), 1,703.1 (1997), 1,542.9 (1996); note - the Vatican lira is at par with the Italian lira; the Vatican will start using euros in 2002 in conjunction with Italy at a fixed rate of 1,936.17 lire per euro |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, whose Military Council for Justice and Democracy deposed longtime President Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA in a coup 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 five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); note - passage of a constitutional reform referendum in July 2006 limits president to two five-year terms; election last held 7 November 2003 (next to be held 11 March 2007); 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:
Pope JOHN PAUL II (since 16 October 1978) head of government: Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo SODANO (since 2 December 1990) cabinet: Pontifical Commission appointed by the pope elections: pope elected for life by the College of Cardinals; election last held 16 October 1978 (next to be held after the death of the current pope); secretary of state appointed by the pope election results: Karol WOJTYLA elected pope |
| Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
| Exports - commodities | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold | - |
| Exports - partners | Italy 14.9%, Japan 12.3%, France 11.8%, Belgium 8.5%, Germany 8.3%, Cote d'Ivoire 7.2%, Spain 6.5%, Russia 5%, Netherlands 4.4% (2005) | - |
| 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 | two vertical bands of yellow (hoist side) and white with the crossed keys of Saint Peter and the papal miter centered in the white band |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
- |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.5% (2005 est.) | - |
| Geographic coordinates | 20 00 N, 12 00 W | 41 54 N, 12 27 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 | urban; landlocked; enclave of Rome, Italy; world's smallest state; outside the Vatican City, 13 buildings in Rome and Castel Gandolfo (the pope's summer residence) enjoy extraterritorial rights |
| Heliports | - | 1 (2000 est.) |
| Highways | - | none; all city streets |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2000) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
| Imports | NA bbl/day | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by Italy |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods | - |
| Imports - partners | France 18.5%, UK 7.2%, US 7%, China 6%, Spain 5%, Belgium 4.3% (2005) | - |
| Independence | 28 November 1960 (from France) | 11 February 1929 (from Italy) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 2% (2000 est.) | - |
| Industries | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum | printing and production of a small amount of mosaics and staff uniforms; worldwide banking and financial activities |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 69.48 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 72.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 66.43 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
- |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2003 est.) | - |
| International organization participation | ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO | CE (observer), IAEA, ICFTU, Intelsat, IOM (observer), ITU, NAM (guest), OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, UN (observer), UNCTAD, UNHCR, UPU, WHO (observer), WIPO, WToO (observer), WTrO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 93 (Holy See and Italy) (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 490 sq km (2002) | 0 sq km (1993) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts | none; normally handled by Italy |
| Labor force | 786,000 (2001) | NA |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 50%
industry: 10% services: 40% (2001 est.) |
agriculture NA%, industry NA%, services NA%; note - dignitaries, priests, nuns, guards, and 3,000 lay workers live outside the Vatican |
| Land boundaries | total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km |
total:
3.2 km border countries: Italy 3.2 km |
| Land use | arable land: 0.2%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.79% (2005) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% (urban area) |
| Languages | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof | Italian, Latin, French, various other languages |
| Legal system | a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law | NA |
| Legislative branch | bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; a portion of 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 (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 9 and 16 April 2004 (next to be held 21 January 2007); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA |
unicameral Pontifical Commission |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 53.12 years
male: 50.88 years female: 55.42 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:
NA total population: 100% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara | Southern Europe, an enclave of Rome (Italy) |
| Map references | Africa | Europe |
| 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 |
none (landlocked) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of Italy; Swiss Papal Guards are posted at entrances to the Vatican City to provide security and protect the Pope |
| 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 | $19.32 million (2005 est.) | - |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.4% (2005 est.) | - |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) | Coronation Day of Pope JOHN PAUL II, 22 October (1978) |
| 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 | NA |
| Natural resources | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish | none |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Action for Change or AC (no longer active) [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Alliance for Justice and Democracy or AJD [Cisse Amadou CHEIKHOU]; National Union for Democracy and Development or UNDD [Tidjane KOITA]; Party for Liberty, Equality, and Justice or PLEJ [Ba Mamdou ALASSANE]; Party of Democratic Convergence or PCD [Cheikh Ould HORMA]; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Progress Force Union or UFP (no longer active) [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]; Rally of Democratic Forces or RFD [Ahmed Ould DADDAH]; Rally for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Republican Party for Democracy and Renewal or PRDR (formerly ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS) [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA]; Right Way or SAWAB [Cheikh Ould Sidi Ould HANANA]; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of Forces of Progress or UFP [Mohamed Ould MAOULOUD]
note: the Party of Democratic Convergence was banned in October 2005 because it was regarded as Islamist and therefore in breach of Mauritanian law |
none |
| 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] | none (exclusive of influence exercised by church officers) |
| Population | 3,177,388 (July 2006 est.) | 890 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | 40% (2004 est.) | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 2.88% (2006 est.) | 1.15% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | none |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 3, FM 4, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios | - | NA |
| Railways | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2005) |
total:
862 m; note - a spur of the Italian Railways system, serving Rome's Saint Peter's station standard gauge: 862 m 1.435-m gauge (1999) |
| Religions | Muslim 100% | Roman Catholic |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
- |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | limited to cardinals less than 80 years old |
| 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:
automatic exchange domestic: tied into Italian system international: uses Italian system |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 41,000 (2005) | NA |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 745,600 (2005) | NA |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 1 (1996) |
| Terrain | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills | low hill |
| Total fertility rate | 5.86 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
| Unemployment rate | 20% (2004 est.) | - |
| Waterways | - | none |
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