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Compare New Caledonia (2001) - Saudi Arabia (2004)
Compare New Caledonia (2001) z Saudi Arabia (2004)
| New Caledonia (2001) | Saudi Arabia (2004) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud | 13 provinces (mintaqat, singular - mintaqah); Al Bahah, Al Hudud ash Shamaliyah, Al Jawf, Al Madinah, Al Qasim, Ar Riyad, Ash Sharqiyah (Eastern Province), 'Asir, Ha'il, Jizan, Makkah, Najran, Tabuk |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
30.31% (male 31,674; female 30,416) 15-64 years: 63.95% (male 66,014; female 65,006) 65 years and over: 5.74% (male 5,548; female 6,205) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: 38.3% (male 5,039,578; female 4,845,937)
15-64 years: 59.3% (male 8,810,705; female 6,494,770) 65 years and over: 2.3% (male 327,047; female 277,901) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products | wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk |
| Airports | 29 (2000 est.) | 204 (2003 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
6 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 4 under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 72
over 3,047 m: 32 2,438 to 3,047 m: 13 1,524 to 2,437 m: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
23 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
total: 129
over 3047 m: 1 2,438 to 3,047 m: 5 1,524 to 2,437 m: 72 914 to 1,523 m: 39 under 914 m: 12 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total:
19,060 sq km land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km |
total: 1,960,582 sq km
land: 1,960,582 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US |
| Background | Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s seems to have dissipated. | In 1902, ABD AL-AZIZ bin Abd al-Rahman Al Saud captured Riyadh and set out on a 30-year campaign to unify the Arabian Peninsula. Today, the monarchy is ruled by a son of ABD AL-AZIZ, and the country's Basic Law stipulates that the throne shall remain in the hands of the aging sons and grandsons of the kingdom's founder. Following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990, Saudi Arabia accepted the Kuwaiti royal family and 400,000 refugees while allowing Western and Arab troops to deploy on its soil for the liberation of Kuwait the following year. The continuing presence of foreign troops on Saudi soil after Operation Desert Storm remained a source of tension between the royal family and the public until the US military's near-complete withdrawal to neighboring Qatar in 2003. The first major terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia in several years, which occurred in May and November 2003, prompted renewed efforts on the part of the Saudi government to counter domestic terrorism and extremism, which also coincided with a slight upsurge in media freedom and announcement of government plans to phase in partial political representation. A burgeoning population, aquifer depletion, and an economy largely dependent on petroleum output and prices are all ongoing governmental concerns. |
| Birth rate | 20.37 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 29.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$861.3 million expenditures: $735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.) |
revenues: $78.77 billion
expenditures: $66.76 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) |
| Capital | Noumea | Riyadh |
| Climate | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid | harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes |
| Coastline | 2,254 km | 2,640 km |
| Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
conventional short form: Saudi Arabia local long form: Al Mamlakah al Arabiyah as Suudiyah local short form: Al Arabiyah as Suudiyah |
| Currency | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) | Saudi riyal (SAR) |
| Death rate | 5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 2.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $79 million (1998 est.) | $39.16 billion (2003) |
| Dependency status | overseas territory of France since 1956 | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador James Curtis OBERWETTER
embassy: Collector Road M, Diplomatic Quarter, Riyadh mailing address: American Embassy Riyadh, Unit 61307, APO AE 09803-1307; International Mail: P. O. Box 94309, Riyadh 11693 telephone: [966] (1) 488-3800 FAX: [966] (1) 488-3989 consulate(s) general: Dhahran, Jiddah (Jeddah) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador BANDAR bin Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud
chancery: 601 New Hampshire Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 telephone: [1] (202) 342-3800 consulate(s) general: Houston, Los Angeles, and New York |
| Disputes - international | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu | nomadic groups on border region with Yemen resist demarcation of boundary; Yemen protests Saudi erection of a concrete-filled pipe as a security barrier in 2004 to stem illegal cross-border activities in sections of the boundary; Kuwait and Saudi Arabia continue discussions on a maritime boundary with Iran; because the treaties have not been made public, the exact alignment of the boundary with the UAE is still unknown and labeled approximate |
| Economic aid - donor | - | pledged $100 million in 1993 to fund reconstruction of Lebanon; since 2000, Saudi Arabia has committed $307 million for assistance to the Palestinians; pledged $240 million to development in Afghanistan; pledged $1 billion in export guarantees and soft loans to Iraq |
| Economic aid - recipient | $880 million annual subsidy from France | - |
| Economy - overview | New Caledonia has more than 20% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years, the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, the substantial financial support from France and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. The situation in 1998 was clouded by the spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower prices for nickel. Nickel prices jumped in 1999-2000, and large additions were made to capacity. French Government interests in the New Caledonian nickel industry are being transferred to local ownership. | This is an oil-based economy with strong government controls over major economic activities. Saudi Arabia has the largest reserves of petroleum in the world (25% of the proved reserves), ranks as the largest exporter of petroleum, and plays a leading role in OPEC. The petroleum sector accounts for roughly 75% of budget revenues, 45% of GDP, and 90% of export earnings. About 40% of GDP comes from the private sector. Roughly five and a half million foreign workers play an important role in the Saudi economy, for example, in the oil and service sectors. The government in 1999 announced plans to begin privatizing the electricity companies, which follows the ongoing privatization of the telecommunications company. The government is encouraging private sector growth to lessen the kingdom's dependence on oil and increase employment opportunities for the swelling Saudi population. Priorities for government spending in the short term include additional funds for education and for the water and sewage systems. Economic reforms proceed cautiously because of deep-rooted political and social conservatism. |
| Electricity - consumption | 1.414 billion kWh (1999) | 113.8 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 1.52 billion kWh (1999) | 122.4 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
78.95% hydro: 21.05% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m |
lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m
highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m |
| Environment - current issues | erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires | desertification; depletion of underground water resources; the lack of perennial rivers or permanent water bodies has prompted the development of extensive seawater desalination facilities; coastal pollution from oil spills |
| Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Ethnic groups | Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% | Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% |
| Exchange rates | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 127.11 (January 2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996); note - linked at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro | Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000), 3.745 (1999) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Thierry LATASTE (since 19 July 1999) head of government: President of the Government Jean LEQUES (since 28 May 1999) cabinet: Consultative Committee elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress |
chief of state: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 1996; note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: King and Prime Minister FAHD bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud (since 13 June 1982, but largely incapacitated since late 1995); Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister ABDALLAH bin Abd al-Aziz Al Saud since 13 June 1982, also Saudi Arabian National Guard Commander since 1963 and de facto ruler since early 1996; note - the monarch is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Council of Ministers is appointed by the monarch and includes many royal family members elections: note - in October 2003, Council of Ministers announced its intent to introduce elections for half of the members of local and provincial assemblies and a third of the members of the national Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura, incrementally over a period of four to five years; in November 2004, the Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs initiated voter registration for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005 |
| Exports | $411 million (f.o.b., 1999) | 7.92 million bbl/day (2003) |
| Exports - commodities | ferronickels, nickel ore, fish | petroleum and petroleum products 90% |
| Exports - partners | Japan 27%, France 17%, Taiwan 12%, South Korea 9% (1999) | US 20.6%, Japan 15.4%, South Korea 9.8%, China 5.5%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2003) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | the flag of France is used | green, a traditional color in Islamic flags, with the Shahada or Muslim creed in large white Arabic script (translated as "There is no god but God; Muhammad is the Messenger of God") above a white horizontal saber (the tip points to the hoist side); design dates to the early twentieth century and is closely associated with the Al Saud family which established the kingdom in 1932 |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $3 billion (1998 est.) | purchasing power parity - $287.8 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
4% industry: 30% services: 66% (1997 est.) |
agriculture: 4.7%
industry: 58.8% services: 36.5% (2003 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $15,000 (1998 est.) | purchasing power parity - $11,800 (2003 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 3.5% (1998 est.) | 5.3% (2003 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 21 30 S, 165 30 E | 25 00 N, 45 00 E |
| Geography - note | - | extensive coastlines on Persian Gulf and Red Sea provide great leverage on shipping (especially crude oil) through Persian Gulf and Suez Canal |
| Heliports | 6 (2000 est.) | 5 (2003 est.) |
| Highways | total:
4,825 km paved: 2,287 km unpaved: 2,538 km (1999) |
total: 151,470 km
paved: 45,592 km unpaved: 105,878 km (1999) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA |
| Illicit drugs | - | death penalty for traffickers; increasing consumption of heroin, cocaine, and hashish; not a major money-laundering center, improving anti-money-laundering legislation |
| Imports | $843 million (f.o.b., 1999) | 0 bbl/day (2003) |
| Imports - commodities | transport equipment, machinery and electrical equipment, fuels, minerals, wine, sugar, rice | machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles |
| Imports - partners | France 49%, Australia 14%, Singapore 6%, New Zealand 5%, US 5% (1999) | US 9.4%, Japan 7.7%, Germany 7.3%, UK 6.2%, China 4.4%, France 4.1% (2003) |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass | 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) |
| Industrial production growth rate | -0.6% (1996) | 7.7% (2003 est.) |
| Industries | nickel mining and smelting | crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics |
| Infant mortality rate | 8.4 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: 13.7 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 15.72 deaths/1,000 live births female: 11.58 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.5% (1998 est.) | 0.5% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO | ABEDA, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, BIS, FAO, G-77, GCC, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OPEC, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer) |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | 160 sq km (1991) | 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court | Supreme Council of Justice |
| Labor force | 79,395 (including 15, 018 unemployed, 1996) | 6.43 million
note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2003) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70% (1999 est.) | agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 4,431 km
border countries: Iraq 814 km, Jordan 744 km, Kuwait 222 km, Oman 676 km, Qatar 60 km, UAE 457 km, Yemen 1,458 km |
| Land use | arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 12% forests and woodland: 39% other: 49% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 1.67%
permanent crops: 0.09% other: 98.24% (2001) |
| Languages | French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects | Arabic |
| Legal system | the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law | based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats; members are members of the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPCR 24, FLNKS 12, UNI 6, FCCI 4, FN 4, Alliance pour la Caledonie 3, LKS 1 note: New Caledonia elects 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2 |
Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
73.02 years male: 70.08 years female: 76.11 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 75.23 years
male: 73.26 years female: 77.3 years (2004 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 78.8% male: 84.7% female: 70.8% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia | Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen |
| Map references | Oceania | Middle East |
| Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone:
200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 18 nm continental shelf: not specified |
| Merchant marine | total:
1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,261 GRT/1,600 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 66 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,306,706 GRT/1,963,191 DWT
by type: cargo 5, chemical tanker 11, container 4, livestock carrier 2, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 23, refrigerated cargo 4, roll on/roll off 10, short-sea/passenger 6 foreign-owned: Egypt 3, Greece 4, Norway 2, Sudan 1, United Kingdom 3 registered in other countries: 54 (2004 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
| Military branches | French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force | Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $192.3 million (1996) | $18 billion (2002) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.3% (1996) | 10% (2002) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 8,240,714 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 4,725,514 (2004 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 246,343 (2004 est.) |
| National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) |
| Nationality | noun:
New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian |
noun: Saudi(s)
adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian |
| Natural hazards | cyclones, most frequent from November to March | frequent sand and dust storms |
| Natural resources | nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper |
| Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | condensate 212 km; gas 1,780 km; liquid petroleum gas 1,191 km; oil 5,068 km; refined products 1,162 km (2004) |
| Political parties and leaders | Alliance pour la Caledonie [Didier LEROUX]; Developper Ensemble pour Construire l'Avenir or DEPCA [Robert FROUIN]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Leopald SOREDIE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Groupe de l'Alliance Multiraciale or GAM [Dany DALMAYRAE]; Independance et Progres [Alphonse PUJAPUJANE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [Rock WAMYTAN] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); La Caledonie Autrement [Denis MILLIARD]; Loyalty Islands Development Front or FDIL [Cono HAMU]; National Front or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Charles WASHETINE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic or RPCR [Jacques LAFLEUR]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [leader NA]; Renouveau [Thierry VALET]; Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; Union Caledonienne or UC [Bernard LEPEU]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Andre GOPEA] | none |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
| Population | 204,863 (July 2001 est.) | 25,795,938
note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
| Population growth rate | 1.48% (2001 est.) | 2.44% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Mueo, Noumea, Thio | Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) |
| Radios | 107,000 (1997) | - |
| Railways | 0 km | total: 1,392 km
standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2003) |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% | Muslim 100% |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.36 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.18 male(s)/female total population: 1.22 male(s)/female (2004 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | none adult male citizens age 21 or older
note: voter registration began in November 2004 for partial municipal council elections scheduled nationwide for February through April 2005 |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: modern system
domestic: extensive microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, and fiber-optic cable systems international: country code - 966; microwave radio relay to Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Yemen, and Sudan; coaxial cable to Kuwait and Jordan; submarine cable to Djibouti, Egypt and Bahrain; satellite earth stations - 5 Intelsat (3 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Indian Ocean region) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 47,000 (1997) | 3,502,600 (2003) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 13,040 (1998) | 7,238,200 (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997) | 117 (1997) |
| Terrain | coastal plains with interior mountains | mostly uninhabited, sandy desert |
| Total fertility rate | 2.48 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 19% (1996) | 25% (2003) |
| Waterways | none | - |
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