Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
Jah-Jah.pl / Index countries / Saudi Arabia (2004) - Tuvalu (2005) / Compare countries
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Saudi Arabia (2004) - Tuvalu (2005)

Compare Saudi Arabia (2004) z Tuvalu (2005)

 Saudi Arabia (2004)Tuvalu (2005)
 Saudi ArabiaTuvalu
Administrative divisions 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 none
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years: 30.8% (male 1,823/female 1,756)


15-64 years: 64.2% (male 3,620/female 3,847)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 229/female 361) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, tomatoes, melons, dates, citrus; mutton, chickens, eggs, milk coconuts; fish
Airports 204 (2003 est.) 1 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways 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: 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.)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2004 est.)
Area total: 1,960,582 sq km


land: 1,960,582 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 26 sq km


land: 26 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than one-fifth the size of the US 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Background 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. In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.
Birth rate 29.74 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) 21.91 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: $78.77 billion


expenditures: $66.76 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)
revenues: $22.5 million


expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2 million (2000 est.)
Capital Riyadh Funafuti; note - administrative offices are located in Vaiaku Village on Fongafale Islet
Climate harsh, dry desert with great temperature extremes tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Coastline 2,640 km 24 km
Constitution governed according to Shari'a (Islamic law); the Basic Law that articulates the government's rights and responsibilities was introduced in 1993 1 October 1978
Country name 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
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Tuvalu


former: Ellice Islands


note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
Currency Saudi riyal (SAR) -
Death rate 2.66 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) 7.22 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external $39.16 billion (2003) NA
Diplomatic representation from the US 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)
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Diplomatic representation in the US 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
Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
Disputes - international 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 none
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 - $13 million; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US (1999 est.)
Economy - overview 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. Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new technology sources could increase substantially over the next decade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and income from overseas investments.
Electricity - consumption 113.8 billion kWh (2001) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - production 122.4 billion kWh (2001) -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Persian Gulf 0 m


highest point: Jabal Sawda' 3,133 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Environment - current issues 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 since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
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
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Arab 90%, Afro-Asian 10% Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Exchange rates Saudi riyals per US dollar - 3.745 (2003), 3.745 (2002), 3.745 (2001), 3.745 (2000), 3.745 (1999) Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001), 1.7248 (2000)
Executive branch 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
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Filoimea TELITO (since 15 April 2005)


head of government: Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA (since 11 October 2004)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 11 October 2004 (next to be held following parliamentary elections in 2006)


election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA resigned parliamentary seat on 27 August 2004 following no-confidence vote on 25 August 2004; succeeded by Deputy Prime Minister Maatia TOAFA in an acting capacity on 27 August 2004; Maatia TOAFA confirmed Prime Minister in a Parliamentary election (8-7 vote) on 11 October 2004
Exports 7.92 million bbl/day (2003) $1 million f.o.b. (2002)
Exports - commodities petroleum and petroleum products 90% copra, fish
Exports - partners US 20.6%, Japan 15.4%, South Korea 9.8%, China 5.5%, Taiwan 4.5%, Singapore 4.1% (2003) Germany 56.5%, Fiji 14.3%, Italy 10.9%, UK 7.7%, Poland 4.9% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description 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 light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
GDP purchasing power parity - $287.8 billion (2003 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.7%


industry: 58.8%


services: 36.5% (2003 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,800 (2003 est.) purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 5.3% (2003 est.) 3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 25 00 N, 45 00 E 8 00 S, 178 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 one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
Heliports 5 (2003 est.) -
Highways total: 151,470 km


paved: 45,592 km


unpaved: 105,878 km (1999)
total: 8 km


paved: 0 km


unpaved: 8 km (1999 est.)
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 0 bbl/day (2003) $79 million c.i.f. (2002)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, motor vehicles, textiles food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Imports - partners US 9.4%, Japan 7.7%, Germany 7.3%, UK 6.2%, China 4.4%, France 4.1% (2003) Fiji 50.2%, Japan 18.1%, Australia 9.6%, China 8%, New Zealand 5.5% (2004)
Independence 23 September 1932 (unification of the kingdom) 1 October 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 7.7% (2003 est.) NA%
Industries crude oil production, petroleum refining, basic petrochemicals, cement, construction, fertilizer, plastics fishing, tourism, copra
Infant mortality rate 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.)
total: 20.03 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 22.9 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 17.02 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 0.5% (2003 est.) 5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation 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) ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, IFRCS (observer), IMO, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO
Irrigated land 16,200 sq km (1998 est.) NA
Judicial branch Supreme Council of Justice High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Labor force 6.43 million


note: more than 35% of the population in the 15-64 age group is non-national (2003)
7,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 12%, industry 25%, services 63% (1999 est.) people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Land boundaries 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
0 km
Land use arable land: 1.67%


permanent crops: 0.09%


other: 98.24% (2001)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2001)
Languages Arabic Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Legal system based on Islamic law, several secular codes have been introduced; commercial disputes handled by special committees; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction NA
Legislative branch Consultative Council or Majlis al-Shura (120 members and a chairman appointed by the monarch for four-year terms) unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15
Life expectancy at birth total population: 75.23 years


male: 73.26 years


female: 77.3 years (2004 est.)
total population: 68.01 years


male: 65.79 years


female: 70.33 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 78.8%


male: 84.7%


female: 70.8% (2003 est.)
definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Middle East, bordering the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea, north of Yemen Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references Middle East Oceania
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 18 nm


continental shelf: not specified
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine 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.)
total: 23 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 54,993 GRT/86,048 DWT


by type: cargo 20, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 2


foreign-owned: 16 (China 9, Germany 2, Hong Kong 4, Thailand 1) (2005)
Military branches Land Force (Army), Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National Guard, Ministry of Interior Forces (paramilitary) no regular military forces; national police force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $18 billion (2002) NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 10% (2002) NA
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 Unification of the Kingdom, 23 September (1932) Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Nationality noun: Saudi(s)


adjective: Saudi or Saudi Arabian
noun: Tuvaluan(s)


adjective: Tuvaluan
Natural hazards frequent sand and dust storms severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level
Natural resources petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, copper fish
Net migration rate -2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 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 none there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders none none
Population 25,795,938


note: includes 5,576,076 non-nationals (July 2004 est.)
11,636 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA
Population growth rate 2.44% (2004 est.) 1.47% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dammam, Al Jubayl, Duba, Jiddah, Jizan, Rabigh, Ra's al Khafji, Mishab, Ras Tanura, Yanbu' al Bahr, Madinat Yanbu' al Sinaiyah Funafuti
Radio broadcast stations AM 43, FM 31, shortwave 2 (1998) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (2004)
Railways total: 1,392 km


standard gauge: 1,392 km 1.435-m gauge (with branch lines and sidings) (2003)
-
Religions Muslim 100% Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Sex ratio 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.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage 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
18 years of age; universal
Telephone system 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)
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications


domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands


international: country code - 688; international calls can be made by satellite
Telephones - main lines in use 3,502,600 (2003) 700 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular 7,238,200 (2003) 0 (2004)
Television broadcast stations 117 (1997) 0 (2004)
Terrain mostly uninhabited, sandy desert very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Total fertility rate 4.11 children born/woman (2004 est.) 3 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate 25% (2003) NA%
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.