Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2006) - Mauritania (2008)

Compare South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2006) z Mauritania (2008)

	South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (2006)	Mauritania (2008)

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
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.)
Agriculture - products	-	dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn; cattle, sheep
Airports	-	25 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	-	total: 8 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 5 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 17 1,524 to 2,437 m: 9 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Area	total: 3,903 sq km land: 3,903 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Shag Rocks, Black Rock, Clerke Rocks, South Georgia Island, Bird Island, and the South Sandwich Islands, which consist of eleven islands	total: 1,030,700 sq km land: 1,030,400 sq km water: 300 sq km
Area - comparative	slightly larger than Rhode Island	slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Background	The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.	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.
Birth rate	-	40.56 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $421 million expenditures: $378 million (2002 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)
Climate	variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow	desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Coastline	NA km	754 km
Constitution	-	12 July 1991
Country name	conventional long form: South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands conventional short form: none abbreviation: SGSSI	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	-	11.89 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	-	$2.5 billion (2000)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina; administered from the Falkland Islands by a commissioner, who is concurrently governor of the Falkland Islands, representing Queen ELIZABETH II; Grytviken - formerly a whaling station on South Georgia - is a scientific base	-
Diplomatic representation from the US	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)	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
Diplomatic representation in the US	none (overseas territory of the UK, also claimed by Argentina)	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
Disputes - international	Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied the islands by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force	Mauritanian claims to Western Sahara remain dormant
Economic aid - recipient	-	$190.4 million (2005)
Economy - overview	Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.	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.
Electricity - consumption	-	230.6 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	-	248 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Paget (South Georgia) 2,934 m	lowest point: Sebkhet Te-n-Dghamcha -5 m highest point: Kediet Ijill 915 m
Environment - current issues	NA	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, 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
Ethnic groups	-	mixed Moor/black 40%, Moor 30%, black 30%
Exchange rates	-	ouguiyas per US dollar - NA (2007), 271.3 (2006), 267.04 (2005), 265.8 (2004), 263.03 (2003)
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%
Exports	-	0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities	-	iron ore, fish and fish products, gold
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)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms features a shield with a golden lion centered; the shield is supported by a fur seal on the left and a penguin on the right; a reindeer appears above the shield, and below it on a scroll is the motto LEO TERRAM PROPRIAM PROTEGAT (Let the Lion Protect its Own Land)	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: 25% industry: 29% services: 46% (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	1.5% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates	54 30 S, 37 00 W	20 00 N, 12 00 W
Geography - note	the north coast of South Georgia has several large bays, which provide good anchorage; reindeer, introduced early in the 20th century, live on South Georgia	most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)
Imports	-	19,960 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities	-	machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners	-	France 11.9%, China 8.1%, Belgium 6.8%, US 6.7%, Italy 5.9%, Spain 5.7%, Brazil 5.5% (2006)
Independence	-	28 November 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	-	2% (2000 est.)
Industries	-	fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	7% (2003 est.)
International organization participation	-	ABEDA, ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AMU, AU, CAEU, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	0 sq km	490 sq km (2002)
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts
Labor force	-	786,000 (2001)
Labor force - by occupation	-	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: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (largely covered by permanent ice and snow with some sparse vegetation consisting of grass, moss, and lichen) (2005)	arable land: 0.2% permanent crops: 0.01% other: 99.79% (2005)
Languages	-	Arabic (official), Pulaar, Soninke, French, Hassaniya, Wolof
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply; the senior magistrate from the Falkland Islands presides over the Magistrates Court	a combination of Islamic law and French civil law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch	-	bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms; a portion of seats up for election every two years) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (95 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - last held 21 January and 4 February 2007 (next to be held 2009); National Assembly - last held 19 November and 3 December 2006 (next to be held in 2011) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - 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
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 53.51 years male: 51.24 years female: 55.85 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51.2% male: 59.5% female: 43.4% (2000 census)
Location	Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Senegal and Western Sahara
Map references	Antarctic Region	Africa
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive fishing 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 UK	-
Military branches	-	Mauritanian Armed Forces: Army, Mauritanian Navy (Marine Mauritanienne; includes naval infantry), Air Force (Force Aerienne Islamique de Mauritanie, FAIM) (2007)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	5.5% (2006)
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Nationality	-	noun: Mauritanian(s) adjective: Mauritanian
Natural hazards	the South Sandwich Islands have prevailing weather conditions that generally make them difficult to approach by ship; they are also subject to active volcanism	hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
Natural resources	fish	iron ore, gypsum, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold, oil, fish
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 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
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]
Population	no indigenous inhabitants note: the small military garrison on South Georgia withdrew in March 2001, to be replaced by a permanent group of scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, which also has a biological station on Bird Island; the South Sandwich Islands are uninhabited (July 2006 est.)	3,270,065 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	40% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate	-	2.867% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations	0 (2003)	AM 1, FM 14, shortwave 1 (2001)
Railways	-	717 km standard gauge: 717 km 1.435-m gauge (2006)
Religions	-	Muslim 100%
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.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: coastal radiotelephone station at Grytviken	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
Telephones - main lines in use	-	34,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	1.06 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations	0 (2003)	1 (2002)
Terrain	most of the islands, rising steeply from the sea, are rugged and mountainous; South Georgia is largely barren and has steep, glacier-covered mountains; the South Sandwich Islands are of volcanic origin with some active volcanoes	mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Total fertility rate	-	5.78 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	20% (2004 est.)

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