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Compare Spratly Islands (2003) - Western Sahara (2001)

Compare Spratly Islands (2003) z Western Sahara (2001)

 Spratly Islands (2003)Western Sahara (2001)
 Spratly IslandsWestern Sahara
Administrative divisions - none (under de facto control of Morocco)
Age structure - 0-14 years:
NA%

15-64 years:
NA%

65 years and over:
NA%
Agriculture - products - fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)
Airports 3 (2002) 11 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2002)
total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2002)
total:
8

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Area total: less than 5 sq km


land: less than 5 sq km


water: 0 sq km


note: includes 100 or so islets, coral reefs, and sea mounts scattered over an area of nearly 410,000 sq km of the central South China Sea
total:
266,000 sq km

land:
266,000 sq km

water:
0 sq km
Area - comparative NA about the size of Colorado
Background The Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs. They are surrounded by rich fishing grounds and potentially by gas and oil deposits. They are claimed in their entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. About 50 islands are occupied by China (about 450 soldiers), Malaysia (70-90), the Philippines (about 100), and Vietnam (about 1,500). Brunei is a claimant but has no outposts. (2002) 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 cease-fire; a referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed and is not expected to occur until at least 2002.
Budget - revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital - none
Climate tropical hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew
Coastline 926 km 1,110 km
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Spratly Islands
conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Western Sahara

former:
Spanish Sahara
Currency - Moroccan dirham (MAD)
Debt - external - $NA
Diplomatic representation from the US - none
Diplomatic representation in the US - none
Disputes - international all of the Spratly Islands are claimed by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam; parts of them are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines; in 1984, Brunei established an exclusive fishing zone that encompasses Louisa Reef in the southern Spratly Islands but has not publicly claimed the island; claimants in November 2002 signed the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", a mechanism to ease tension but which fell short of a legally binding "code of conduct" claimed and administered by Morocco, but sovereignty is unresolved and the UN is attempting to hold a referendum on the issue; the UN-administered cease-fire has been in effect since September 1991
Economic aid - recipient - $NA
Economy - overview Economic activity is limited to commercial fishing. The proximity to nearby oil- and gas-producing sedimentary basins suggests the potential for oil and gas deposits, but the region is largely unexplored, and there are no reliable estimates of potential reserves; commercial exploitation has yet to be developed. Western Sahara, a territory poor in natural resources and lacking sufficient rainfall, depends on pastoral nomadism, fishing, and phosphate mining as the principal sources of income for the population. Most of the food for the urban population must be imported. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Incomes and standards of living are substantially below the Moroccan level.
Electricity - consumption - 83.7 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production - 90 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: South China Sea 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 m
lowest point:
Sebjet Tah -55 m

highest point:
unnamed location 463 m
Environment - current issues NA sparse water and lack of arable land
Environment - international agreements - party to:
none of the selected agreements

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups - Arab, Berber
Exchange rates - Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 10.590 (January 2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997), 8.716 (1996)
Executive branch - none
Exports - $NA
Exports - commodities - phosphates 62%
Exports - partners - Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Fiscal year - calendar year
GDP - purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
40%-45% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate - NA%
Geographic coordinates 8 38 N, 111 55 E 24 30 N, 13 00 W
Geography - note strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs -
Heliports - 1 (2000 est.)
Highways - total:
6,200 km

paved:
1,350 km

unpaved:
4,850 km (1991 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
Imports - $NA
Imports - commodities - fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs
Imports - partners - Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts
Industrial production growth rate - NA%
Industries - phosphate mining, handicrafts
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - NA%
International organization participation - none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
Irrigated land 0 sq km (1998 est.) NA sq km
Labor force - 12,000
Labor force - by occupation - animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%
Land boundaries 0 km total:
2,046 km

border countries:
Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
19%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
81%
Languages - Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic
Literacy - definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
Location Southeastern Asia, group of reefs and islands in the South China Sea, about two-thirds of the way from southern Vietnam to the southern Philippines Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco
Map references Southeast Asia Africa
Maritime claims NA contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue
Military - note Spratly Islands consist of more than 100 small islands or reefs, of which about 45 are claimed and occupied by China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam -
Military branches - NA
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA%
Nationality - noun:
Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

adjective:
Sahrawian, Sahraouian
Natural hazards typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals 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 fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential phosphates, iron ore
Political pressure groups and leaders - none
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2003 est.)
250,559 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line - NA%
Ports and harbors none; offshore anchorage only Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)
Radio broadcast stations - AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios - 56,000 (1997)
Railways - 0 km
Religions - Muslim
Suffrage - none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign has yet to be completed
Telephone system - general assessment:
sparse and limited system

domestic:
NA

international:
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 - about 2,000 (1999 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 0 (1999)
Television broadcast stations - NA
Terrain flat mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast
Unemployment rate - NA%
Waterways none none
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