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Compare United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2008) - Mauritania (2001)

Compare United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2008) z Mauritania (2001)

 United States Pacific Island Wildlife Refuges (2008)Mauritania (2001)
 United States Pacific Island Wildlife RefugesMauritania
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:
46.14% (male 634,940; female 632,654)

15-64 years:
51.59% (male 698,433; female 718,883)

65 years and over:
2.27% (male 25,840; female 36,562) (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products - dates, millet, sorghum, rice, corn, dates; cattle, sheep
Airports Baker Island: one abandoned World War II runway of 1,665 m covered with vegetation and unusable


Howland Island: airstrip constructed in 1937 for scheduled refueling stop on the round-the-world flight of Amelia EARHART and Fred NOONAN; the aviators left Lae, New Guinea, for Howland Island but were never seen again; the airstrip is no longer serviceable


Johnston Atoll: one closed and not maintained


Kingman Reef: lagoon was used as a halfway station between Hawaii and American Samoa by Pan American Airways for flying boats in 1937 and 1938


Midway Islands: 3 - one operational (2,409 m paved); no fuel for sale except emergencies


Palmyra Atoll: 1 - 1,846 m unpaved runway; privately owned (2006)
26 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways - total:
8

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3

1,524 to 2,437 m:
5 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total:
18

2,438 to 3,047 m:
2

1,524 to 2,437 m:
4

914 to 1,523 m:
9

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
Area total - 6,959.41 sq km; emergent land - 22.41 sq km; submerged - 6,937 sq km


Baker Island: total - 129 sq km; emergent land - 2.1 sq km; submerged - 127 sq km


Howland Island: total - 139 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 136 sq km


Jarvis Island: total - 152 sq km; emergent land - 5 sq km; submerged - 147 sq km


Johnston Atoll: total - 276.6 sq km; emergent land - 2.6 sq km; submerged - 274 sq km


Kingman Reef: total - 1,958.01 sq km; emergent land - 0.01 sq km; submerged - 1,958 sq km


Midway Islands: total - 2,355.2 sq km; emergent land - 6.2 sq km; submerged - 2,349 sq km


Palmyra Atoll: total - 1,949.9 sq km; emergent land - 3.9 sq km; submerged - 1,946 sq km
total:
1,030,700 sq km

land:
1,030,400 sq km

water:
300 sq km
Area - comparative Baker Island: about two and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Howland Island: about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Jarvis Island: about eight times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Johnston Atoll: about four and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Kingman Reef: a little more than one and a half times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Midway Islands: about nine times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC


Palmyra Atoll: about 20 times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC
slightly larger than three times the size of New Mexico
Background The following US Pacific island territories constitute the Pacific Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Complex and as such are managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of Interior. These remote refuges are the most widespread collection of marine- and terrestrial-life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction. They protect many endemic species including corals, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, seabirds, water birds, land birds, insects, and vegetation not found elsewhere.


Baker Island: The US took possession of the island in 1857, and its guano deposits were mined by US and British companies during the second half of the 19th century. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Howland Island: Discovered by the US early in the 19th century, the island was officially claimed by the US in 1857. Both US and British companies mined for guano until about 1890. In 1935, a short-lived attempt at colonization began on this island, similar to the effort on nearby Baker Island, but was disrupted by World War II and thereafter abandoned. The famed American aviatrix Amelia EARHART disappeared while seeking out Howland Island as a refueling stop during her 1937 round-the-world flight; Earhart Light, a day beacon near the middle of the west coast, was named in her memory. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Jarvis Island: First discovered by the British in 1821, the uninhabited island was annexed by the US in 1858, but abandoned in 1879 after tons of guano had been removed. The UK annexed the island in 1889, but never carried out plans for further exploitation. The US occupied and reclaimed the island in 1935 until it was abandoned in 1942 during World War II. The island was established as a National Wildlife Refuge in 1974.


Johnston Atoll: Both the US and the Kingdom of Hawaii annexed Johnston Atoll in 1858, but it was the US that mined the guano deposits until the late 1880s. Johnston and Sand Islands were designated wildlife refuges in 1926. The US Navy took over the atoll in 1934, and subsequently the US Air Force assumed control in 1948. The site was used for high-altitude nuclear tests in the 1950s and 1960s, and until late in 2000 the atoll was maintained as a storage and disposal site for chemical weapons. Munitions destruction is now complete. Cleanup and closure of the facility was completed by May 2005. The Fish and Wildlife Service and the US Air Force are currently discussing future management options; in the interim, Johnston Atoll and the three-mile Naval Defensive Sea around it remain under the jurisdiction and administrative control of the US Air Force.


Kingman Reef: The US annexed the reef in 1922. Its sheltered lagoon served as a way station for flying boats on Hawaii-to-American Samoa flights during the late 1930s. There are no terrestrial plants on the reef, which is frequently awash, but it does support abundant and diverse marine fauna and flora. In 2001, the waters surrounding the reef out to 12 nm were designated a US National Wildlife Refuge.


Midway Islands: The US took formal possession of the islands in 1867. The laying of the trans-Pacific cable, which passed through the islands, brought the first residents in 1903. Between 1935 and 1947, Midway was used as a refueling stop for trans-Pacific flights. The US naval victory over a Japanese fleet off Midway in 1942 was one of the turning points of World War II. The islands continued to serve as a naval station until closed in 1993. Today the islands are a National Wildlife Refuge and are the site of the world's largest Laysan albatross colony.


Palmyra Atoll: The Kingdom of Hawaii claimed the atoll in 1862, and the US included it among the Hawaiian Islands when it annexed the archipelago in 1898. The Hawaii Statehood Act of 1959 did not include Palmyra Atoll, which is now partly privately owned by the Nature Conservancy with the rest owned by the Federal government and managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. These organizations are managing the atoll as a wildlife refuge. The lagoons and surrounding waters within the 12 nm US territorial seas were transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service and designated as a National Wildlife Refuge in January 2001.
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. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as being flawed; Mauritania remains, in reality, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black minority population and the dominant Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.
Birth rate - 42.95 births/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Budget - revenues:
$329 million

expenditures:
$265 million, including capital expenditures of $75 million (1996 est.)
Capital - Nouakchott
Climate Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: equatorial; scant rainfall, constant wind, burning sun


Johnston Atoll and Kingman Reef: tropical, but generally dry; consistent northeast trade winds with little seasonal temperature variation


Midway Islands: subtropical with cool, moist winters (December to February) and warm, dry summers (May to October); moderated by prevailing easterly winds; most of the 1,067 mm (42 in) of annual rainfall occurs during the winter


Palmyra Atoll: equatorial, hot; located within the low pressure area of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) where the northeast and southeast trade winds meet, it is extremely wet with between 4,000-5,000 mm (160-200 in) of rainfall each year
desert; constantly hot, dry, dusty
Coastline Baker Island: 4.8 km


Howland Island: 6.4 km


Jarvis Island: 8 km


Johnston Atoll: 34 km


Kingman Reef: 3 km


Midway Islands: 15 km


Palmyra Atoll: 14.5 km
754 km
Constitution - 12 July 1991
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Baker Island; Howland Island; Jarvis Island; Johnston Atoll; Kingman Reef; Midway Islands; Palmyra Atoll
conventional long form:
Islamic Republic of Mauritania

conventional short form:
Mauritania

local long form:
Al Jumhuriyah al Islamiyah al Muritaniyah

local short form:
Muritaniyah
Currency - ouguiya (MRO)
Death rate - 13.65 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Debt - external - $2.1 billion (1999)
Dependency status unincorporated territories of the US; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior as part of the National Wildlife Refuge system


note on Palmyra Atoll: incorporated Territory of the US; partly privately owned and partly federally owned; administered from Washington, DC, by the Fish and Wildlife Service of the US Department of the Interior; the Office of Insular Affairs of the US Department of the Interior continues to administer nine excluded areas comprising certain tidal and submerged lands within the 12 nm territorial sea or within the lagoon
-
Diplomatic representation from the US none (territories of the US) chief of mission:
Ambassador John W. LIMBERT

embassy:
Rue Abdallaye, Nouakchott

mailing address:
B. P. 222, Nouakchott

telephone:
[222] 25-26-60, 25-26-63

FAX:
[222] 25-15-92
Diplomatic representation in the US - chief of mission:
Ambassador Ahmed Ben Khalifa BEN JIDOU

chancery:
2129 Leroy Place NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:
[1] (202) 232-5700

FAX:
[1] (202) 319-2623
Disputes - international none none
Economic aid - recipient - $300 million (1998)
Economy - overview no economic activity A majority of the population still depends on agriculture and livestock for a livelihood, even though most of the nomads and many 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 half 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 have resulted in a buildup of foreign debt. In March 1999, the government signed an agreement with a joint World Bank-IMF mission on a $54 million enhanced structural adjustment facility (ESAF). Mauritania withdrew its membership in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2000. Privatization and debt relief are in full swing, and the rate of economic growth appears to be accelerating, especially in the construction, telecommunication, and information sectors. Diamonds and petroleum are beginning to be explored and exploited.
Electricity - consumption - 140.4 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (1999)
Electricity - production - 151 million kWh (1999)
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel:
82.78%

hydro:
17.22%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: Baker Island, unnamed location - 8 m; Howland Island, unnamed location - 3 m; Jarvis Island, unnamed location - 7 m; Johnston Atoll, Sand Island - 10 m; Kingman Reef, unnamed location - less than 1 m; Midway Islands, unnamed location - 13 m; Palmyra Atoll, unnamed location - 2 m
lowest point:
Sebkha de Ndrhamcha -3 m

highest point:
Kediet Ijill 910 m
Environment - current issues Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands, and Johnston Atoll: no natural fresh water resources


Kingman Reef: none


Midway Islands and Palmyra Atoll: 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
Environment - international agreements - party to:
Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups - mixed Maur/black 40%, Maur 30%, black 30%
Exchange rates - ouguiyas per US dollar - 250.870 (December 2000), 238.923 (2000), 209.514 (1999), 188.476 (1998), 151.853 (1997), 137.222 (1996)
Executive branch - chief of state:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA (since 12 December 1984)

head of government:
Prime Minister Cheik El Avia Ould Mohamed KHOUNA (since 17 November 1998)

cabinet:
Council of Ministers

elections:
president elected by popular vote for a six-year term; election last held 12 December 1997 (next to be held NA December 2003); prime minister appointed by the president

election results:
President Col. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA reelected with 90.9% of the vote
Exports - $333 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Exports - commodities - iron ore, fish and fish products, gold
Exports - partners - Japan 18%, France 17%, Italy 16%, Spain 11% (1998)
Fiscal year - calendar year
Flag description the flag of the US is used 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 - purchasing power parity - $5.4 billion (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture:
25%

industry:
31%

services:
44% (1997)
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $2,000 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate - 5% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates Baker Island: 0 13 N, 176 28 W


Howland Island: 0 48 N, 176 38 W


Jarvis Island: 0 23 S, 160 01 W


Johnston Atoll: 16 45 N, 169 31 W


Kingman Reef: 6 23 N, 162 25 W


Midway Islands: 28 12 N, 177 22 W


Palmyra Atoll: 5 53 N, 162 05 W
20 00 N, 12 00 W
Geography - note Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: scattered vegetation consisting of grasses, prostrate vines, and low growing shrubs; primarily a nesting, roosting, and foraging habitat for seabirds, shorebirds, and marine wildlife


Johnston Atoll: Johnston Island and Sand Island are natural islands, which have been expanded by coral dredging; North Island (Akau) and East Island (Hikina) are manmade islands formed from coral dredging; the egg-shaped reef is 34 km in circumference


Kingman Reef: barren coral atoll with deep interior lagoon; closed to the public


Midway Islands: a coral atoll managed as a national wildlife refuge and open to the public for wildlife-related recreation in the form of wildlife observation and photography


Palmyra Atoll: the high rainfall and resulting lush vegetation make the environment of this atoll unique among the US Pacific Island territories; it supports one of the largest remaining undisturbed stands of Pisonia beach forest in the Pacific
most of the population concentrated in the cities of Nouakchott and Nouadhibou and along the Senegal River in the southern part of the country
Highways - total:
7,660 km

paved:
866 km

unpaved:
6,794 km (1996)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%:
2.3%

highest 10%:
29.9% (1995)
Imports - $305 million (f.o.b., 1999)
Imports - commodities - machinery and equipment, petroleum products, capital goods, foodstuffs, consumer goods
Imports - partners - France 27%, Benelux 9%, Germany 7%, Spain 7% (1998)
Independence - 28 November 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate - 2.2% (1999)
Industries - fish processing, mining of iron ore and gypsum
Infant mortality rate - 76.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 4.5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation - ABEDA, ACCT (associate), ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AL, AMF, AMU, CAEU, CCC, ECA, ECOWAS, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (pending member), ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 5 (2000)
Irrigated land - 490 sq km (1993 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Court of Appeals; lower courts
Labor force - 750,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture 47%, services 39%, industry 14%
Land boundaries none 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% (2005)
arable land:
0%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
38%

forests and woodland:
4%

other:
58% (1993 est.)
Languages - Hasaniya Arabic (official), Pular, Soninke, Wolof (official), French
Legal system the laws of the US, where applicable, apply a combination of Shari'a (Islamic law) and French civil law
Legislative branch - bicameral legislature consists of the Senate or Majlis al-Shuyukh (56 seats; 17 up for election every two years; members elected by municipal leaders to serve six-year terms) and the National Assembly or Majlis al-Watani (79 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

elections:
Senate - last held 17 April 1998 (next to be held NA 2001); National Assembly - last held 11 and 18 October 1996 (next to be held NA 2001)

election results:
Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - PRDS 71, AC 1, independents and other 7
Life expectancy at birth - total population:
51.14 years

male:
49.06 years

female:
53.29 years (2001 est.)
Literacy - definition:
age 15 and over can read and write

total population:
46.7%

male:
53.4%

female:
40% (1998 est.)
Location Oceania


Baker Island: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,830 nm (3,389 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Howland Island: island in the North Pacific Ocean 1,815 nm (3,361 km) southwest of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and Australia


Jarvis Island: island in the South Pacific Ocean 1,305 nm (2,417 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and the Cook Islands


Johnston Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 717 nm (1,328 km) southwest of Honolulu, about one-third of the way from Hawaii to the Marshall Islands


Kingman Reef: reef in the North Pacific Ocean 930 nm (1,722 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa


Midway Islands: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 1,260 nm (2,334 km) northwest of Honolulu near the end of the Hawaiian Archipelago, about one-third of the way from Honolulu to Tokyo


Palmyra Atoll: atoll in the North Pacific Ocean 960 nm (1,778 km) south of Honolulu, about half way between Hawaii and American Samoa
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
contiguous zone:
24 NM

continental shelf:
200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin

exclusive economic zone:
200 NM

territorial sea:
12 NM
Merchant marine - none (2000 est.)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the US -
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, National Gendarmerie, National Guard, National Police, Presidential Guard
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $41 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.7% (FY97/98)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49:
624,375 (2001 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49:
302,699 (2001 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 28 November (1960)
Nationality - noun:
Mauritanian(s)

adjective:
Mauritanian
Natural hazards Baker, Howland, and Jarvis Islands: the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard


Kingman Reef: wet or awash most of the time, maximum elevation of less than 1 m makes Kingman Reef a maritime hazard


Midway Islands, Johnston, and Palmyra Atolls: NA
hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind blows primarily in March and April; periodic droughts
Natural resources terrestrial and aquatic wildlife iron ore, gypsum, fish, copper, phosphate, diamonds, gold
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.)
Political parties and leaders - Action for Change or AC [Messoud Ould BOULKHEIR]; Assembly for Democracy and Unity or RDU [Ahmed Ould SIDI BABA]; Democratic and Social Republican Party or PRDS (ruling party) [President Col. 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 [Mohamed El Hafed Ould ISMAEL]; Popular Social and Democratic Union or UPSD [Mohamed Mahmoud Ould MAH]; Progress Force Union or UFP [Mohamed Ould MOLOUD]; Union for Progress and Democracy or UNDD [Naha Mint MOUKNASS]

note:
parties legalized by constitution ratified 12 July 1991; however, politics continue to be tribally based
Political pressure groups and leaders - Arab nationalists; Ba'athists; 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: public entry is by special-use permit from US Fish and Wildlife Service only and generally restricted to scientists and educators; visited annually by US Fish and Wildlife Service


Johnston Atoll: in previous years, an average of 1,100 US military and civilian contractor personnel were present; as of May 2005 all US government personnel had left the island


Midway Islands: approximately 40 people make up the staff of US Fish and Wildlife Service and their services contractor living at the atoll


Palmyra Atoll: four to 20 Nature Conservancy and US Fish and Wildlife staff
2,747,312 (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line - 50% (1996 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.93% (2001 est.)
Ports and harbors - Bogue, Kaedi, Nouadhibou, Nouakchott, Rosso
Radio broadcast stations - AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios - 360,000 (1997)
Railways - total:
750 km (single track); note - owned and operated by government mining company

standard gauge:
750 km 1.435-m gauge (1995)
Religions - Muslim 100%
Sex ratio - 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:
0.71 male(s)/female

total population:
0.98 male(s)/female (2001 est.)
Suffrage - 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system - 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:
satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) and 2 Arabsat
Telephones - main lines in use - 26,000 (2000)
Telephones - mobile cellular - NA
Television broadcast stations - 1 (1997)
Terrain low and nearly level sandy coral islands with narrow fringing reefs that have developed at the top of submerged volcanic mountains, which in most cases rise steeply from the ocean floor mostly barren, flat plains of the Sahara; some central hills
Total fertility rate - 6.22 children born/woman (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate - 23% (1995 est.)
Waterways - note:
ferry traffic on the Senegal River
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