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Compare Spain (2003) - Western Sahara (2008)

Compare Spain (2003) z Western Sahara (2008)

 Spain (2003)Western Sahara (2008)
 SpainWestern Sahara
Administrative divisions 19 autonomous communities (comunidades autonomas, singular - comunidad autonoma); Andalucia, Aragon, Asturias, Baleares (Balearic Islands), Ceuta, Canarias (Canary Islands), Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y Leon, Cataluna, Communidad Valencian, Extremadura, Galicia, La Rioja, Madrid, Melilla, Murcia, Navarra, Pais Vasco (Basque Country)


note: three small Spanish possessions are located off the coast of Morocco: Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera; Ceuta and Melilla gained limited autonomous status in 1994
none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Age structure 0-14 years: 14.4% (male 2,985,705; female 2,808,791)


15-64 years: 68% (male 13,721,053; female 13,626,121)


65 years and over: 17.6% (male 2,962,646; female 4,113,097) (2003 est.)
0-14 years: 45.4% (male 88,176/female 85,421)


15-64 years: 52.3% (male 98,345/female 101,895)


65 years and over: 2.3% (male 3,705/female 5,075) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, vegetables, olives, wine grapes, sugar beets, citrus; beef, pork, poultry, dairy products; fish fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads); fish
Airports 152 (2002) 9 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 93


over 3,047 m: 15


2,438 to 3,047 m: 10


1,524 to 2,437 m: 18


914 to 1,523 m: 23


under 914 m: 27 (2002)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 59


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 14


under 914 m: 43 (2002)
total: 6


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Area total: 504,782 sq km


land: 499,542 sq km


water: 5,240 sq km


note: there are 19 autonomous communities including Balearic Islands and Canary Islands, and three small Spanish possessions off the coast of Morocco - Islas Chafarinas, Penon de Alhucemas, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera
total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than twice the size of Oregon about the size of Colorado
Background Spain's powerful world empire of the 16th and 17th centuries ultimately yielded command of the seas to England. Subsequent failure to embrace the mercantile and industrial revolutions caused the country to fall behind Britain, France, and Germany in economic and political power. Spain remained neutral in World Wars I and II, but suffered through a devastating civil war (1936-39). In the second half of the 20th century, Spain has played a catch-up role in the western international community; it joined the EU in 1986. Continuing concerns are Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) terrorism and further reductions in unemployment. Morocco virtually annexed the northern two-thirds of Western Sahara (formerly Spanish Sahara) in 1976, and the rest of the territory in 1979, following Mauritania's withdrawal. A guerrilla war with the Polisario Front contesting Rabat's sovereignty ended in a 1991 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. In April 2007, Morocco presented an autonomy plan for the territory to the UN, which the U.S. considers serious and credible. The Polisario also presented a plan to the UN in 2007. Since August 2007, representatives from the Government of Morocco and the Polisario Front have met three times to negotiate the status of Western Sahara, with a fourth round of negotiations planned for March 2008.
Birth rate 10.08 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) NA 39.95 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $105 billion


expenditures: $109 billion, including capital expenditures of $12.8 billion (2000 est.)
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA
Capital Madrid none


time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate temperate; clear, hot summers in interior, more moderate and cloudy along coast; cloudy, cold winters in interior, partly cloudy and cool along coast hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Coastline 4,964 km 1,110 km
Constitution 6 December 1978, effective 29 December 1978 -
Country name conventional long form: Kingdom of Spain


conventional short form: Spain


local short form: Espana
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
Currency euro (EUR)


note: on 1 January 1999, the European Monetary Union introduced the euro as a common currency to be used by the financial institutions of member countries; on 1 January 2002, the euro became the sole currency for everyday transactions with the member countries
-
Death rate 9.48 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) NA
Debt - external $90 billion (1993 est.) $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US chief of mission: Ambassador George L. ARGYROS


embassy: Serrano 75, 28006 Madrid


mailing address: PSC 61, APO AE 09642


telephone: [34] (91) 587-2200


FAX: [34] (91) 587-2303


consulate(s) general: Barcelona
none
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Francisco Javier RUPEREZ Rubio


chancery: 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037


telephone: [1] (202) 452-0100, 728-2340


FAX: [1] (202) 833-5670


consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, and San Juan (Puerto Rico)
none
Disputes - international Gibraltar residents vote overwhelmingly in referendum against "total shared sovereignty" arrangement worked out between Spain and UK to change 300-year rule over colony; Morocco protests Spain's control over the coastal enclaves of Ceuta, Melilla, and Penon de Velez de la Gomera, the islands of Penon de Alhucemas and Islas Chafarinas, and surrounding waters; Morocco also rejected Spain's unilateral designation of a median line from the Canary Islands in 2002 to set limits to undersea resource exploration and refugee interdiction; Morocco allowed Spanish fishermen to fish temporarily off the coast of Western Sahara after an oil spill soiled Spanish fishing grounds; Portugal has periodically reasserted claims to territories around the town of Olivenza, Spain Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals; several states have extended diplomatic relations to the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" represented by the Polisario Front in exile in Algeria, while others recognize Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara; most of the approximately 102,000 Sahrawi refugees are sheltered in camps in Tindouf, Algeria
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1.33 billion (1999) -
Economic aid - recipient - $NA
Economy - overview Spain's mixed capitalist economy supports a GDP that on a per capita basis is 80% that of the four leading West European economies. Its center-right government successfully worked to gain admission to the first group of countries launching the European single currency (the euro) on 1 January 1999. The AZNAR administration has continued to advocate liberalization, privatization, and deregulation of the economy and has introduced some tax reforms to that end. Unemployment has been steadily falling under the AZNAR administration but remains high at 11.7%. The government intends to make further progress in changing labor laws and reforming pension schemes, which are key to the sustainability of both Spain's internal economic advances and its competitiveness in a single currency area. A general strike in mid-2002 reduced cooperation between labor and government. Growth of 2.4% in 2003 was satisfactory given the background of a faltering European economy. Adjusting to the monetary and other economic policies of an integrated Europe - and reducing unemployment - will pose challenges to Spain over the next few years. Western Sahara depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. The territory lacks sufficient rainfall for sustainable agricultural production, and most of the food for the urban population must be imported. Incomes in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. The Moroccan Government controls all trade and other economic activities in Western Sahara. Morocco and the EU signed a four-year agreement in July 2006 allowing European vessels to fish off the coast of Morocco, including the disputed waters off the coast of Western Sahara. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. However, in 2006 the Polisario awarded similar exploration licenses in the disputed territory, which would come into force if Morocco and the Polisario resolve their dispute over Western Sahara.
Electricity - consumption 210.4 billion kWh (2001) 79.05 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 4.138 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 7.588 billion kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 222.5 billion kWh (2001) 85 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 50.4%


hydro: 18.2%


nuclear: 27.2%


other: 4.1% (2001)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m


highest point: Pico de Teide (Tenerife) on Canary Islands 3,718 m
lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
Environment - current issues pollution of the Mediterranean Sea from raw sewage and effluents from the offshore production of oil and gas; water quality and quantity nationwide; air pollution; deforestation; desertification sparse water and lack of arable land
Environment - international agreements party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups composite of Mediterranean and Nordic types Arab, Berber
Exchange rates euros per US dollar - 1.06 (2002), 1.12 (2001), 1.09 (2000), 0.94 (1999) Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.2827 (2007), 8.7722 (2006), 8.865 (2005), 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003)
Executive branch chief of state: King JUAN CARLOS I (since 22 November 1975); Heir Apparent Prince FELIPE, son of the monarch, born 30 January 1968


head of government: President of the Government Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (since 5 May 1996); First Vice President (and Minister of Economy) Rodrigo RATO Figaredo (since 4 September 2003) and Second Vice President (and Minister of the Presidency) Javier ARENAS (since 4 September 2003)


cabinet: Council of Ministers designated by the president


note: there is also a Council of State that is the supreme consultative organ of the government


elections: the monarch is hereditary; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually proposed president by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly; election last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); vice presidents appointed by the monarch on the proposal of the president


election results: Jose Maria AZNAR Lopez (PP) elected president; percent of National Assembly vote - 44.54%; note - the Popular Party (PP) obtained an absolute majority of seats in both the Congress of Deputies and the Senate as a result of the March 2000 elections
none
Exports 135,100 bbl/day (2001) 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities machinery, motor vehicles; foodstuffs, other consumer goods phosphates 62%
Exports - partners France 19%, Germany 11.4%, UK 9.6%, Portugal 9.5%, Italy 9.3%, US 4.6% (2002) Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of red (top), yellow (double width), and red with the national coat of arms on the hoist side of the yellow band; the coat of arms includes the royal seal framed by the Pillars of Hercules, which are the two promontories (Gibraltar and Ceuta) on either side of the eastern end of the Strait of Gibraltar -
GDP purchasing power parity - $850.7 billion (2002 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4%


industry: 31%


services: 65% (2000 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: 40%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $21,200 (2002 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 2% (2002 est.) NA%
Geographic coordinates 40 00 N, 4 00 W 24 30 N, 13 00 W
Geography - note strategic location along approaches to Strait of Gibraltar the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas
Heliports 7 (2002) -
Highways total: 663,795 km


paved: 657,157 km (including 10,317 km of expressways)


unpaved: 6,638 km (1999)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 25.2% (1990)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs key European gateway country for Latin American cocaine and North African hashish entering the European market; destination and minor transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin -
Imports 1.582 million bbl/day (2001) 1,698 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, semifinished goods; foodstuffs, consumer goods (1997) fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Imports - partners France 17%, Germany 16.5%, Italy 8.6%, UK 6.4%, Netherlands 4.8% (2002) Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2006)
Independence the Iberian peninsula was characterized by a variety of independent kingdoms prior to the Moslem occupation that began in the early 8th Century A. D. and lasted nearly seven centuries; the small Christian redoubts of the north began the reconquest almost immediately, culminating in the seizure of Granada in 1492; this event completed the unification of several kingdoms and is traditionally considered the forging of present-day Spain -
Industrial production growth rate 1.2% (2002 est.) NA%
Industries textiles and apparel (including footwear), food and beverages, metals and metal manufactures, chemicals, shipbuilding, automobiles, machine tools, tourism phosphate mining, handicrafts
Infant mortality rate total: 4.54 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 4.94 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 4.12 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 3% (2002 est.) NA%
International organization participation AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECLAC, EIB, EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MONUC, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMEE, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNU, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, ZC none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 56 (2000) -
Irrigated land 36,400 sq km (1998 est.) NA
Judicial branch Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo -
Labor force 17.1 million (2001) 12,000
Labor force - by occupation services 64%, manufacturing, mining, and construction 29%, agriculture 7% (2001 est.) agriculture: 50%


industry and services: 50%
Land boundaries total: 1,917.8 km


border countries: Andorra 63.7 km, France 623 km, Gibraltar 1.2 km, Portugal 1,214 km, Morocco (Ceuta) 6.3 km, Morocco (Melilla) 9.6 km
total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Land use arable land: 28.6%


permanent crops: 9.56%


other: 61.84% (1998 est.)
arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2005)
Languages Castilian Spanish 74%, Catalan 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%


note: Castilian is the official language nationwide; the other languages are official regionally
Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Legal system civil law system, with regional applications; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction -
Legislative branch bicameral; General Courts or National Assembly or Las Cortes Generales consists of the Senate or Senado (259 seats - 208 members directly elected by popular vote and the other 51 appointed by the regional legislatures to serve four-year terms) and the Congress of Deputies or Congreso de los Diputados (350 seats; members are elected by popular vote on block lists by proportional representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004); Congress of Deputies - last held 12 March 2000 (next to be held NA March 2004)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - PP 44.6%, PSOE 34.1%, CiU 4.2%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1.1%, PIL 0%; seats by party - PP 127, PSOE 61, CiU 8, PNV 6, CC 5, PIL 1; Congress of Deputies - percent of vote by party - PP 44.5%, PSOE 34%, CiU 4.2%, IU 5.4%, PNV 1.5%, CC 1%, BNG 1.3%; seats by party - PP 183, PSOE 125, CiU 15, IU 8, PNV 7, CC 4, BNG 3, other 5
-
Life expectancy at birth total population: 79.23 years


male: 75.87 years


female: 82.8 years (2003 est.)
total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 97.9%


male: 98.7%


female: 97.2% (2003 est.)
NA
Location Southwestern Europe, bordering the Bay of Biscay, Mediterranean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, and Pyrenees Mountains, southwest of France Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Map references Europe Africa
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM (applies only to the Atlantic Ocean)


territorial sea: 12 NM
contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Merchant marine total: 140 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,585,563 GRT/2,022,104 DWT


ships by type: bulk 9, cargo 31, chemical tanker 10, container 13, liquefied gas 5, livestock carrier 1, passenger 1, petroleum tanker 22, refrigerated cargo 5, roll on/roll off 33, short-sea passenger 6, vehicle carrier 4


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Croatia 1, Cuba 2, Denmark 1, Germany 7, Italy 1, Netherlands 1, Norway 6, Uruguay 3 (2002 est.)
-
Military branches Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Civil Guard, National Police, Coastal Civil Guard -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $8.6 billion (2002) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.15% (2002) -
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49: 10,524,715 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49: 8,391,612 (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - military age 20 years of age (2003 est.) -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males: 255,826 (2003 est.) -
National holiday Hispanic Day, 12 October -
Nationality noun: Spaniard(s)


adjective: Spanish
noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Natural hazards periodic droughts hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility
Natural resources coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, potash, hydropower, arable land phosphates, iron ore
Net migration rate 0.99 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -
Pipelines gas 7,290 km; oil 730 km; refined products 3,110 km; unknown (oil/water) 397 km (2003) -
Political parties and leaders Basque Nationalist Party or PNV [Xabier ARZALLUS Antia]; Canarian Coalition or CC (a coalition of five parties) [Paulino RIVERO]; Convergence and Union or CiU [Jordi PUJOL i Soley, secretary general] (a coalition of the Democratic Convergence of Catalonia or CDC [Jordi PUJOL i Soley] and the Democratic Union of Catalonia or UDC [Josep Antoni DURAN y LLEIDA]); Galician Nationalist Bloc or BNG [Xose Manuel BEIRAS]; Party of Independents from Lanzarote or PIL [Dimas MARTIN Martin]; Popular Party or PP [Mariano RAJOY]; Spanish Socialist Workers Party or PSOE [Jose Luis RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO]; United Left or IU (a coalition of parties including the PCE and other small parties) [Gaspar LLAMAZARES] -
Political pressure groups and leaders business and landowning interests; Catholic Church; free labor unions (authorized in April 1977); Socialist General Union of Workers or UGT and the smaller independent Workers Syndical Union or USO; university students; Workers Confederation or CC.OO; Nunca Mais (Galician for "Never Again"; formed in response to the oil tanker Prestige oil spill) none
Population 40,217,413 (July 2003 est.) 382,617


note: estimate is based on projections by age, sex, fertility, mortality, and migration; fertility and mortality are based on data from neighboring countries (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 0.16% (2003 est.) NA
Ports and harbors Aviles, Barcelona, Bilbao, Cadiz, Cartagena, Castellon de la Plana, Ceuta, Huelva, La Coruna, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Malaga, Melilla, Pasajes, Gijon, Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), Santander, Tarragona, Valencia, Vigo -
Radio broadcast stations AM 208, FM 715, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways total: 14,189 km


broad gauge: 11,804 km 1.668-m gauge (6,409 km electrified)


standard gauge: 455 km 1.435-m gauge (455 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 1,902 km 1.000-m gauge (781 km electrified); 28 km 0.914-m gauge (28 km electrified) (2002)
-
Religions Roman Catholic 94%, other 6% Muslim
Sex ratio at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.72 male(s)/female


total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
NA
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed
Telephone system general assessment: generally adequate, modern facilities; teledensity is 44 main lines for each 100 persons


domestic: NA


international: 22 coaxial submarine cables; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean), NA Eutelsat; tropospheric scatter to adjacent countries
general assessment: sparse and limited system


domestic: NA


international: country code - 212; tied into Morocco's system by microwave radio relay, tropospheric scatter, and satellite; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) linked to Rabat, Morocco
Telephones - main lines in use 17.336 million (1999) about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular 8.394 million (1999) 0 (1999)
Television broadcast stations 224 (plus 2,105 repeaters)


note: these figures include 11 television broadcast stations and 88 repeaters in the Canary Islands (1995)
NA
Terrain large, flat to dissected plateau surrounded by rugged hills; Pyrenees in north mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Total fertility rate 1.26 children born/woman (2003 est.) NA
Unemployment rate 11.3% (2002 est.) NA%
Waterways 1,045 km (of minor economic importance) -
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