Mauritania (2008) | Seychelles (2001) | |
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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 | 23 administrative districts; Anse aux Pins, Anse Boileau, Anse Etoile, Anse Louis, Anse Royale, Baie Lazare, Baie Sainte Anne, Beau Vallon, Bel Air, Bel Ombre, Cascade, Glacis, Grand' Anse (on Mahe), Grand' Anse (on Praslin), La Digue, La Riviere Anglaise, Mont Buxton, Mont Fleuri, Plaisance, Pointe La Rue, Port Glaud, Saint Louis, Takamaka |
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:
28.27% (male 11,367; female 11,167) 15-64 years: 65.47% (male 25,453; female 26,737) 65 years and over: 6.26% (male 1,673; female 3,318) (2001 est.) |
Agriculture - products | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep | coconuts, cinnamon, vanilla, sweet potatoes, cassava (tapioca), bananas; broiler chickens; tuna fish |
Airports | 25 (2007) | 14 (2000 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2007) |
total:
6 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2000 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:
8 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
Area | total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
total:
455 sq km land: 455 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 seized power in a coup in 1984 and ruled Mauritania with a heavy hand for over two decades. A series of presidential elections that he held were widely seen as flawed. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council that oversaw a transition to democratic rule. Independent candidate Sidi Ould Cheikh ABDALLAHI was inaugurated in April 2007 as Mauritania's first freely and fairly elected president. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions among its black population (Afro-Mauritanians) and White and Black Moor (Arab-Berber) communities, although the new government is attempting to ameliorate some of these tensions. | A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814, when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976. Socialist rule was brought to a close with a new constitution and free elections in 1993. |
Birth rate | 40.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 17.66 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million (2002 est.) |
revenues:
$249 million expenditures: $262 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 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) |
Victoria |
Climate | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty | tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September); warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May) |
Coastline | 754 km | 491 km |
Constitution | 12 July 1991 | 18 June 1993 |
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 Seychelles conventional short form: Seychelles |
Currency | - | Seychelles rupee (SCR) |
Death rate | 11.89 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 6.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Debt - external | $2.5 billion (2000) | $240 million (1999 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 |
the US does not have an embassy in Seychelles; the ambassador to Mauritius is accredited to Seychelles |
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 Claude Sylvestre MOREL chancery: 800 Second Avenue, Suite 400C, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 972-1785 FAX: [1] (212) 972-1786 |
Disputes - international | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant | claims the Chagos Archipelago (UK-administered British Indian Ocean Territory) |
Economic aid - recipient | $190.4 million (2005) | $16.4 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. Oil prospects, while initially promising, have failed to materialize. Meantime the government emphasizes reduction of poverty, improvement of health and education, and promoting privatization of the economy. | Since independence in 1976, per capita output in this Indian Ocean archipelago has expanded to roughly seven times the old near-subsistence level. Growth has been led by the tourist sector, which employs about 30% of the labor force and provides more than 70% of hard currency earnings, and by tuna fishing. In recent years the government has encouraged foreign investment in order to upgrade hotels and other services. At the same time, the government has moved to reduce the dependence on tourism by promoting the development of farming, fishing, and small-scale manufacturing. The vulnerability of the tourist sector was illustrated by the sharp drop in 1991-92 due largely to the Gulf war. Although the industry has rebounded, the government recognizes the continuing need for upgrading the sector in the face of stiff international competition. Other issues facing the government are the curbing of the budget deficit and further privatization of public enterprises. Growth slowed in 1998-2000, due to sluggish tourist and tuna sectors. Tight controls on exchange rates and the scarcity of foreign exchange have hindered short-term economic prospects. The black market value of the Seychelles ruppee is half the official exchange rate; without a devaluation of the currency the tourist sector should remain sluggish as vacationers seek cheaper destinations such as Comoros, Mauritius, and Madagascar. |
Electricity - consumption | 230.6 million kWh (2005) | 148.8 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2005) | 0 kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production | 248 million kWh (2005) | 160 million kWh (1999) |
Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 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 | water supply depends on catchments to collect rainwater |
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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% | Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans) |
Exchange rates | ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003) | Seychelles rupees per US dollar - 6.0397 (November 2000), 5.6009 (2000), 5,3426 (1999), 5.2622 (1998), 5.0263 (1997), 4.9700 (1996) |
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:
President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President France Albert RENE (since 5 June 1977); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: France Albert RENE reelected president; percent of vote - France Albert RENE (SPPF) 66.7%, Wavel RAMKALAWAN (UO) 19.5%, Sir James MANCHAM (DP) 13.8% |
Exports | 0 bbl/day (2004) | $111 million (f.o.b., 1999) |
Exports - commodities | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold | fish, cinnamon bark, copra, petroleum products (reexports) |
Exports - partners | China 26.1%, Italy 11.7%, France 10.5%, Spain 6.9%, Belgium 6.8%, Japan 5.4%, Cote d'Ivoire 4.6% (2006) | France, UK, Netherlands, Italy, China, Germany, Japan |
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 | five oblique bands of blue (hoist side), yellow, red, white, and green (bottom) radiating from the bottom of the hoist side |
GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $610 million (2000 est.) |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
agriculture:
3.1% industry: 26.3% services: 70.6% (1999) |
GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $7,700 (2000 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | 1.5% (2007 est.) | 1.5% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 20 00 N, 12 00 W | 4 35 S, 55 40 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 | 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands |
Highways | - | total:
373 km paved: 315 km unpaved: 58 km (1997) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 29.5% (2000) |
lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | 19,960 bbl/day (2004) | $440 million (c.i.f., 1999) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, petroleum products, chemicals |
Imports - partners | France 11.9%, China 8.1%, Belgium 6.8%, US 6.7%, Italy 5.9%, Spain 5.7%, Brazil 5.5% (2006) | South Africa, UK, China, Singapore, France, Italy |
Independence | 28 November 1960 (from France) | 29 June 1976 (from UK) |
Industrial production growth rate | 2% (2000 est.) | NA% |
Industries | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum | fishing; tourism; processing of coconuts and vanilla, coir (coconut fiber) rope, boat building, printing, furniture; beverages |
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.) |
17.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 7% (2003 est.) | 6% (1999 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 | ACCT, ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, InOC, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OPCW, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 1 (2000) |
Irrigated land | 490 sq km (2002) | NA sq km |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts | Court of Appeal; Supreme Court; judges for both courts are appointed by the president |
Labor force | 786,000 (2001) | 30,900 (1996) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 50%
industry: 10% services: 40% (2001 est.) |
industry 19%, services 71%, agriculture 10% (1989) |
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: 0.2%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.79% (2005) |
arable land:
2% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 11% other: 74% (1993 est.) |
Languages | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof | English (official), French (official), Creole |
Legal system | a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction | based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law |
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 - 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 - 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 |
unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (34 seats - 25 elected by popular vote, 9 allocated on a proportional basis to parties winning at least ten percent of the vote; members serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 20-22 March 1998 (next to be held by NA 2003) election results: percent of vote by party - SPPF 61.7%, UO 26.1%, DP 12.1%; seats by party - SPPF 30, UO 3, DP 1 note: the 9 awarded seats are apportioned according to the share of each party in the total vote |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 53.51 years
male: 51.24 years female: 55.85 years (2007 est.) |
total population:
70.69 years male: 65.17 years female: 76.37 years (2001 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 51.2% male: 59.5% female: 43.4% (2000 census) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58% male: 56% female: 60% (1971 est.) |
Location | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara | Eastern Africa, group of islands in the Indian Ocean, northeast of Madagascar |
Map references | Africa | Africa |
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 |
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 |
Merchant marine | - | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 5,353 GRT/7,638 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
Military branches | Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2007) | Army, Coast Guard, air wing, National Guard, Presidential Protection Unit, Police Force |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | - | $13 million (FY93) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.5% (2006) | 2.8% (FY93) |
Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49:
22,951 (2001 est.) |
Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49:
11,452 (2001 est.) |
National holiday | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) | Constitution Day, 18 June (1993) |
Nationality | noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian |
noun:
Seychellois (singular and plural) adjective: Seychelles |
Natural hazards | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts | lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible |
Natural resources | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish | fish, copra, cinnamon trees |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | -6.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | 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; Mithaq (coalition of independents and parties associated with the former regime including Alternative or El-Badil, PRDR, UDP, RDU); 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 | Democratic Party or DP [James MANCHAM]; Seychelles National Party or SNP (formerly the United Opposition or UO) [Wavel RAMKALAWAN]; Seychelles People's Progressive Front or SPPF [France Albert RENE] - the governing party |
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] | Roman Catholic Church; trade unions |
Population | 3,270,065 (July 2007 est.) | 79,715 (July 2001 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 40% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.867% (2007 est.) | 0.49% (2001 est.) |
Ports and harbors | - | Victoria |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) | AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 2 (1998) |
Radios | - | 42,000 (1997) |
Railways | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2006) |
0 km |
Religions | Muslim 100% | Roman Catholic 90%, Anglican 8%, other 2% |
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:
1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 17 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; mobile-cellular services expanding rapidly
domestic: Mauritel, the national telecommunications company, was privatized in 2001 but remains the monopoly provider of fixed-line services; fixed-line teledensity 1 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular network coverage extends mainly to urban areas with a teledensity approaching 35 per 100 persons; mostly cable and open-wire lines; a domestic satellite telecommunications system links Nouakchott with regional capitals international: country code - 222; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 2 Arabsat |
general assessment:
effective system domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands in the archipelago international: direct radiotelephone communications with adjacent island countries and African coastal countries; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 34,900 (2006) | 19,635 (1997) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.06 million (2006) | 16,316 (1999) |
Television broadcast stations | 1 (2002) | 2 (plus 9 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills | Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs |
Total fertility rate | 5.78 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.83 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20% (2004 est.) | NA% |
Waterways | - | none |