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Compare Northern Mariana Islands (2006) - Mauritania (2005)
Compare Northern Mariana Islands (2006) z Mauritania (2005)
| Northern Mariana Islands (2006) | Mauritania (2005) | |
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| Administrative divisions | none (commonwealth in political union with the US); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four municipalities at the second order: Northern Islands, Rota, Saipan, Tinian | 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: 19.4% (male 8,350/female 7,623)
15-64 years: 79% (male 26,715/female 38,442) 65 years and over: 1.6% (male 679/female 650) (2006 est.) |
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.) |
| Agriculture - products | coconuts, fruits, vegetables; cattle | dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep |
| Airports | 5 (2006) | 24 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 8
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2006) |
total: 16
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 477 sq km
land: 477 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes 14 islands including Saipan, Rota, and Tinian |
total: 1,030,700 sq km
land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km |
| Area - comparative | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico |
| Background | Under US administration as part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific, the people of the Northern Mariana Islands decided in the 1970s not to seek independence but instead to forge closer links with the US. Negotiations for territorial status began in 1972. A covenant to establish a commonwealth in political union with the US was approved in 1975, and came into force on 24 March 1976. A new government and constitution went into effect in 1978. | 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. |
| Birth rate | 19.43 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 41.43 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $193 million
expenditures: $223 million; including capital expenditures of $NA (FY01/02 est.) |
revenues: $421 million
expenditures: $378 million, including capital expenditures of $154 million (2002 est.) |
| Capital | name: Saipan
geographic coordinates: 15 12 N, 145 45 E time difference: UTC+10 (15 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Nouakchott |
| Climate | tropical marine; moderated by northeast trade winds, little seasonal temperature variation; dry season December to June, rainy season July to October | desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty |
| Coastline | 1,482 km | 754 km |
| Constitution | Constitution of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands effective 1 January 1978; Covenant Agreement fully effective 4 November 1986 | 12 July 1991 |
| Country name | conventional long form: Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
conventional short form: Northern Mariana Islands abbreviation: CNMI former: Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Mariana Islands District |
conventional long form: Islamic Republic of Mauritania
conventional short form: Mauritania local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah local short form: Muritaniyah |
| Death rate | 2.29 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 12.44 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Debt - external | $NA | $2.5 billion (2000) |
| Dependency status | commonwealth in political union with the US; federal funds to the Commonwealth administered by the US Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs | - |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Disputes - international | none | Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara have been dormant in recent years |
| Economic aid - recipient | extensive funding from US | $220 million (2000) |
| Economy - overview | The economy benefits substantially from financial assistance from the US. The rate of funding has declined as locally generated government revenues have grown. The key tourist industry employs about 50% of the work force and accounts for roughly one-fourth of GDP. Japanese tourists predominate. Annual tourist entries have exceeded one-half million in recent years, but financial difficulties in Japan have caused a temporary slowdown. The agricultural sector is made up of cattle ranches and small farms producing coconuts, breadfruit, tomatoes, and melons. Garment production is by far the most important industry with the employment of 17,500 mostly Chinese workers and sizable shipments to the US under duty and quota exemptions. | 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. |
| Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | 176.9 million kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh | 0 kWh (2002) |
| Electricity - production | NA kWh | 190.2 million kWh (2002) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: unnamed location on Agrihan 965 m |
lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m
highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m |
| Environment - current issues | contamination of groundwater on Saipan may contribute to disease; clean-up of landfill; protection of endangered species conflicts with development | 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 |
| 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 | Asian 56.3%, Pacific islander 36.3%, Caucasian 1.8%, other 0.8%, mixed 4.8% (2000 census) | mixed Maur/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30% |
| Exchange rates | the US dollar is used | ouguiyas per US dollar - NA(2004), 263.03 (2003), 271.74 (2002), 255.63 (2001), 238.92 (2000) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: President George W. BUSH of the US (since 20 January 2001); Vice President Richard B. CHENEY (since 20 January 2001)
head of government: Governor Benigno R. FITIAL (since 9 January 2006); Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. VILLAGOMEZ (since 9 January 2006) cabinet: the cabinet consists of the heads of the 10 principal departments under the executive branch who are appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate; other members include Special Assistants to the governor and office heads appointed by and reporting directly to the governor elections: under the US Consitution, residents of unincorporated territories, such as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, do not vote in elections for US president and vice president; governor and lieutenant governor elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009) election results: Benigno R. FITIAL elected governor in a four-way race; percent of vote - Benigno R. FITIAL (Covenant Party) 28.07%, Heinz HOFSCHNEIDER (Independent) 27.34%, Juan BABAUTA (Republican) 26.6%, Froilan TENORIO (Democrat) 17.99% |
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 |
| Exports | $NA | NA |
| Exports - commodities | garments | iron ore, fish and fish products, gold |
| Exports - partners | US (2004) | 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) |
| Fiscal year | 1 October - 30 September | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue, with a white, five-pointed star superimposed on the gray silhouette of a latte stone (a traditional foundation stone used in building) in the center, surrounded by a wreath | 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 |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture: 25%
industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | - | purchasing power parity - $1,800 (2004 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | NA% | 3% (2004 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 15 12 N, 145 45 E | 20 00 N, 12 00 W |
| Geography - note | strategic location in the North Pacific Ocean | most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country |
| Heliports | 1 (2006) | - |
| Highways | - | total: 7,660 km
paved: 866 km unpaved: 6,794 km (1999 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2.5%
highest 10%: 30.2% (2000) |
| Imports | $214.4 million $NA | NA |
| Imports - commodities | food, construction equipment and materials, petroleum products | machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods |
| Imports - partners | US, Japan (2004) | France 14.1%, US 7.6%, China 6.4%, Spain 5.8%, UK 4.6%, Germany 4.3%, Belgium 4.2% (2004) |
| Independence | none (commonwealth in political union with the US) | 28 November 1960 (from France) |
| Industrial production growth rate | NA% | 2% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, construction, garments, handicrafts | fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum |
| Infant mortality rate | total: 6.98 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.92 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -0.8% (2000) | 7% (2003 est.) |
| International organization participation | Interpol (subbureau), SPC, UPU | 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 |
| Irrigated land | NA | 490 sq km (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | Commonwealth Supreme Court; Superior Court; Federal District Court | Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts |
| Labor force | 44,470 total indigenous labor force; 2,699 unemployed; 28,717 foreign workers (2000) | 786,000 (2001) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
agriculture 50%, industry 10%, services 40% (2001 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 5,074 km
border countries: Algeria 463 km, Mali 2,237 km, Senegal 813 km, Western Sahara 1,561 km |
| Land use | arable land: 13.04%
permanent crops: 4.35% other: 82.61% (2005) |
arable land: 0.48%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.51% (2001) |
| Languages | Philippine languages 24.4%, Chinese 23.4%, Chamorro 22.4%, English 10.8%, other Pacific island languages 9.5%, other 9.6% (2000 census) | Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof |
| Legal system | based on US system, except for customs, wages, immigration laws, and taxation | a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Legislature consists of the Senate (9 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year staggered terms) and the House of Representatives (18 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve two-year terms)
elections: Senate - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009); House of Representatives - last held 5 November 2005 (next to be held November 2007) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 3, Republican Party 3, Democratic Party 2, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Covenant Party 7, Republican Party 7, Democratic Party 2, independent 2 note: the Northern Mariana Islands does not have a nonvoting delegate in the US Congress; instead, it has an elected official or "resident representative" located in Washington, DC; seats by party - Republican Party 1 (Pedro A. TENORIO) |
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 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.09 years
male: 73.5 years female: 78.83 years (2006 est.) |
total population: 52.73 years
male: 50.52 years female: 55 years (2005 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 97% male: 97% female: 96% (1980 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 41.7% male: 51.8% female: 31.9% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Oceania, islands in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to the Philippines | Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara |
| Map references | Oceania | Africa |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
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 |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of the US | - |
| 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) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | 1.7% (2004) |
| National holiday | Commonwealth Day, 8 January (1978) | Independence Day, 28 November (1960) |
| Nationality | noun: NA (US citizens)
adjective: NA |
noun: Mauritanian(s)
adjective: Mauritanian |
| Natural hazards | active volcanoes on Pagan and Agrihan; typhoons (especially August to November) | hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts |
| Natural resources | arable land, fish | iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish |
| Net migration rate | 8.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
| Political parties and leaders | Covenant Party [Benigno R. FITIAL]; Democratic Party [Dr. Carlos S. CAMACHO]; Republican Party [Juan S. REYES] | 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 |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | 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] |
| Population | 82,459 (July 2006 est.) | 3,086,859 (July 2005 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | 40% (2004 est.) |
| Population growth rate | 2.54% (2006 est.) | 2.9% (2005 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | - | Nouadhibou, Nouakchott |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 6, shortwave 1 (2006) | AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001) |
| Railways | - | 717 km
standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2004) |
| Religions | Christian (Roman Catholic majority, although traditional beliefs and taboos may still be found) | Muslim 100% |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.7 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.05 male(s)/female total population: 0.77 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal; indigenous inhabitants are US citizens but do not vote in US presidential elections | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 21,000 (2000) | 31,500 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 20,500 (2004) | 300,000 (2003) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (Low Power TV on Saipan; in addition, two cable services on Saipan provide varied programming from satellite networks) (2006) | 1 (2002) |
| Terrain | southern islands are limestone with level terraces and fringing coral reefs; northern islands are volcanic | mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills |
| Total fertility rate | 1.24 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 5.94 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 3.9% NA% | 20% (2004 est.) |
| Waterways | - | some ferry traffic on Senegal River (2004) |
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