Compare Mauritania (2007) - Oman (2004)

Compare Mauritania (2007) z Oman (2004)

	Mauritania (2007)	Oman (2004)

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 (manaatiq, singular - mintaqat) and 3 governorates* (muhaafazaat, singular - muhaafaza) Ad Dakhiliyah, Al Batinah, Al Wusta, Ash Sharqiyah, Az Zahirah, Masqat, Musandam, Zufar*
Age structure	0-14 years: 45.5% (male 744,995/female 741,369) 15-64 years: 52.4% (male 845,272/female 866,998) 65 years and over: 2.2% (male 28,564/female 42,867) (2007 est.)	0-14 years: 42.4% (male 628,078; female 603,829) 15-64 years: 55.1% (male 955,765; female 643,687) 65 years and over: 2.5% (male 38,761; female 33,045) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products	dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep	dates, limes, bananas, alfalfa, vegetables; camels, cattle; fish
Airports	25 (2007)	135 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2007)	total: 6 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways	total: 17 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 1 (2007)	total: 130 over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 52 914 to 1,523 m: 34 under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.)
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. 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, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions and organized elections. Accordingly, parliamentary elections were held in late 2006-early 2007 and presidential elections in March 2007. The newly-elected legislature is expected to assume power following the inauguration of the new president in April 2007. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population and different Moor (Arab-Berber) communities.	In 1970, QABOOS bin Said Al Said ousted his father and has ruled as sultan ever since. His extensive modernization program has opened the country to the outside world and has preserved a long-standing political and military relationship with the UK. Oman's moderate, independent foreign policy has sought to maintain good relations with all Middle Eastern countries.
Birth rate	40.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)	37.12 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget	revenues: $421 million expenditures: $378 million (2002 est.)	revenues: $8.218 billion expenditures: $7.766 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
Capital	name: Nouakchott geographic coordinates: 18 07 N, 16 02 W time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	Muscat
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	-	Omani rial (OMR)
Death rate	11.89 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)	3.91 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external	$2.5 billion (2000)	$5.973 billion (2003 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Mark M. BOULWARE 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 Richard Lewis BALTIMORE III embassy: Jameat A'Duwal Al Arabiya Street, Al Khuwair area, Muscat mailing address: P. O. Box 202, P.C. 115, Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat telephone: [968] 24-698989 FAX: [968] 24-699771
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Ibrahima DIA chancery: 2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5700, 5701 FAX: [1] (202) 319-2623	chief of mission: Ambassador Muhammad bin Ali bin Thani al-KHUSSAIBY chancery: 2535 Belmont Road, NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 387-1980 through 1981, 1988 FAX: [1] (202) 745-4933
Disputes - international	Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant	boundary agreement signed and ratified with UAE in 2003 for entire border, including Oman's Musandam Peninsula and Al Madhah enclaves
Economic aid - recipient	$190.4 million (2005)	$76.4 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 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 began in early 2006 and averaged 75,000 barrels per day for the year. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy.	Oman is a small, well-off middle Eastern economy with large oil and gas resources, a substantial trade surplus, and low inflation. The government is moving ahead with privatization of its utilities, the development of a body of commercial law to facilitate foreign investment, and increased budgetary outlays. Oman continues to liberalize its markets and joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in November 2000. In order to reduce unemployment and limit dependence on foreign countries, the government is encouraging the replacement of expatriate workers with local people, i.e., the process of Omanization. Training in information technology, business management, and English support this objective. Industrial development plans focus on gas resources.
Electricity - consumption	230.6 million kWh (2005)	8.625 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2005)	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	248 million kWh (2005)	9.274 billion kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 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; locust infestation	rising soil salinity; beach pollution from oil spills; very limited natural fresh water resources
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, 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 Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%	Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
Exchange rates	ouguiyas per US dollar - 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002)	Omani rials per US dollar - 0.3845 (2003), 0.3845 (2002), 0.3845 (2001), 0.3845 (2000), 0.3845 (1999)
Executive branch	chief of state: Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI (since 19 April 2007) head of government: Prime Minister Zeine Ould ZEIDANE (since 20 April 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held 11 March 2007 with a runoff between the two leading candidates held on 25 March 2007 (next to be held 2012); prime minister appointed by the president election results: percent of vote - (second round) Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDELLAHI 52.8%, Ahmed Ould DADDAH 47.2%	chief of state: Sultan and Prime Minister QABOOS bin Said Al Said (since 23 July 1970); 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 (since 23 July 1970); note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the monarch elections: none; the monarch is hereditary
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	iron ore, fish and fish products, gold	petroleum, reexports, fish, metals, textiles
Exports - partners	China 26.3%, Italy 11.8%, France 10.2%, Belgium 6.8%, Spain 6.7%, Japan 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% (2006)	South Korea 18.7%, China 18.5%, Japan 16.2%, Thailand 12.2%, UAE 7.8%, Iran 4.1% (2003)
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 - $36.7 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: 25% industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.)	agriculture: 3.1% industry: 42.1% services: 54.8% (2003 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $13,100 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	14.1% (2006 est.)	1.1% (2003 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	-	1 (2003 est.)
Highways	-	total: 34,965 km paved: 9,673 km (including 550 km of expressways) unpaved: 25,292 km (2001)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA
Imports	NA bbl/day	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods	machinery and transport equipment, manufactured goods, food, livestock, lubricants
Imports - partners	France 11.9%, China 8.2%, Belgium 6.8%, US 6.8%, Italy 5.9%, Brazil 5.5%, Spain 5.4% (2006)	UAE 21.6%, Japan 17.1%, US 6.2%, UK 5.6%, Germany 4.4%, India 4.4% (2003)
Independence	28 November 1960 (from France)	1650 (expulsion of the Portuguese)
Industrial production growth rate	2% (2000 est.)	0.2% (2003 est.)
Industries	fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum	crude oil production and refining, natural gas production, construction, cement, copper
Infant mortality rate	total: 68.07 deaths/1,000 live births male: 71.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 64.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)	total: 20.26 deaths/1,000 live births male: 23.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.19 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	7% (2003 est.)	-0.3% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO	ABEDA, AFESD, AMF, FAO, G-77, GCC, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, WToO
Irrigated land	490 sq km (2002)	620 sq km (1998 est.)
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 Sharia (Islamic) law
Labor force	786,000 (2001)	920,000 (2002 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	agriculture: 50% industry: 10% services: 40% (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: 0.2% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.79% (2005)	arable land: 0.12% permanent crops: 0.14% other: 99.74% (2001)
Languages	Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof	Arabic (official), English, Baluchi, Urdu, Indian dialects
Legal system	a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction	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; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held 2009); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Al-Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime) 37, CFCD (coalition of political parties) 15, representatives of the diaspora (yet to be chosen) 3, undecided 1; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Al Mithaq 51 (independents 37, PRDR 7, UDP 3, RDU 3, Alternative (El-Badil) 1), CFCD 41 (RFD 16, UFP 9, APP 6, Centrist Reformists 4, HATEM-PMUC 3, RD 2, PUDS 1), RNDLE 1, UCD 1, FP 1	bicameral Majlis Oman consists of an upper chamber or Majlis al-Dawla (58 seats; members appointed by the monarch; has advisory powers only) and a lower chamber or Majlis al-Shura (83 seats; members elected by universal suffrage for four-year term; body has some limited power to propose legislation, but otherwise has only advisory powers) elections: last held 4 October 2003 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: NA
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 53.51 years male: 51.24 years female: 55.85 years (2007 est.)	total population: 72.85 years male: 70.66 years female: 75.16 years (2004 est.)
Literacy	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51.2% male: 59.5% female: 43.4% (2000 census)	definition: NA total population: 75.8% male: 83.1% female: 67.2% (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	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 contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine	-	total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 15,430 GRT/6,360 DWT by type: passenger 2 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.)
Military branches	Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2007)	Royal Omani Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$242.07 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	5.5% (2006)	11.4% (2003)
Military manpower - availability	-	males age 15-49: 796,792 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service	-	males age 15-49: 443,006 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually	-	males: 31,274 (2004 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 (2007 est.)	0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 3,754 km; oil 3,212 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	Al-Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime including Alternative or El-Badil, PRDR, UDP, RDU); Alternative or El-Badil; Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists); Coalition for Forces for Democratic Change or CFCD (coalition of political parties including APP, Centrist Reformists (independent moderate Islamists), HATEM-PMUC, PUDS, RD, RFD, UFP); Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS; Democratic Renewal or RD; Mauritanian Party for Unity and Change or HATEM-PMUC; National Rally for Freedom, Democracy and Equality or RNDLE; Popular Front or FP [Ch'bih Ould CHEIKH MALAININE]; Popular Progressive Alliance or APP [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; 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 [Boullah Ould MOGUEYA] (formerly ruling Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS); Socialist and Democratic Unity Party or PUDS; Union for Democracy and Progress or UDP [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]; Union of Democratic Centre or UCD; Union of the Forces for Progress or UFP	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
Population	3,270,065 (July 2007 est.)	2,903,165 note: includes 577,293 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line	40% (2004 est.)	NA
Population growth rate	2.867% (2007 est.)	3.35% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Matrah, Mina' al Fahl, Mina' Raysut
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)	AM 3, FM 9, shortwave 2 (1999)
Railways	717 km standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)	-
Religions	Muslim 100%	Ibadhi Muslim 75%, Sunni Muslim, Shi'a Muslim, Hindu
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.005 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.975 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.666 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2007 est.)	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.49 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.17 male(s)/female total population: 1.27 male(s)/female (2004 est.)
Suffrage	18 years of age; universal	in Oman's most recent Majlis al-Shura elections in 2003, suffrage was universal for all Omanis over age 21 except for members of the military and security forces; the next Majlis al-Shura elections are scheduled for 2007
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), 2 Arabsat	general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire, microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited coaxial cable domestic: open-wire, microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite system with 8 earth stations international: country code - 968; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) and 1 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use	34,900 (2006)	233,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1.06 million (2006)	464,900 (2002)
Television broadcast stations	1 (2002)	13 (plus 25 low-power 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	5.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)	5.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate	20% (2004 est.)	NA

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