West Bank (2007) | Monaco (2006) | |
Administrative divisions | - | none; there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are four quarters (quartiers, singular - quartier); Fontvieille, La Condamine, Monaco-Ville, Monte-Carlo |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 42.4% (male 551,243/female 524,800)
15-64 years: 54.2% (male 704,209/female 670,382) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 36,175/female 49,118) (2007 est.) |
0-14 years: 15.2% (male 2,539/female 2,417)
15-64 years: 62.1% (male 9,959/female 10,266) 65 years and over: 22.6% (male 3,015/female 4,347) (2006 est.) |
Agriculture - products | olives, citrus, vegetables; beef, dairy products | none |
Airports | 3 (2007) | - |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 under 914 m: 1 (2007) |
- |
Area | total: 5,860 sq km
land: 5,640 sq km water: 220 sq km note: includes West Bank, Latrun Salient, and the northwest quarter of the Dead Sea, but excludes Mt. Scopus; East Jerusalem and Jerusalem No Man's Land are also included only as a means of depicting the entire area occupied by Israel in 1967 |
total: 1.95 sq km
land: 1.95 sq km water: 0 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than Delaware | about three times the size of The Mall in Washington, DC |
Background | The Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements (the DOP), signed in Washington in September 1993, provided for a transitional period of Palestinian interim self-government in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. A transfer of authority to the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the Gaza Strip and Jericho took place pursuant to the Israel-PLO 4 May 1994 Cairo Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area and, in additional areas of the West Bank, pursuant to the Israel-PLO 28 September 1995 Interim Agreement, the Israel-PLO 15 January 1997 Protocol Concerning Redeployment in Hebron, the Israel-PLO 23 October 1998 Wye River Memorandum, and the 4 September 1999 Sharm el-Sheikh Agreement. Direct negotiations to determine the permanent status of Gaza and the West Bank began in September 1999 after a three-year hiatus, but were derailed by a second intifadah that broke out a year later. In April 2003, the Quartet (US, EU, UN, and Russia) presented a roadmap to a final settlement of the conflict by 2005 based on reciprocal steps by the two parties leading to two states, Israel and a democratic Palestine. The proposed date for a permanent status agreement has been postponed indefinitely due to violence and accusations that both sides have not followed through on their commitments. Following Palestinian leader Yasir ARAFAT's death in late 2004, Mahmud ABBAS was elected PA president in January 2005. A month later, Israel and the PA agreed to the Sharm el-Sheikh Commitments in an effort to move the peace process forward. In September 2005, Israel withdrew all its settlers and soldiers and dismantled its military facilities in the Gaza Strip and four northern West Bank settlements. Nonetheless, Israel controls maritime, airspace, and most access to the Gaza Strip. A November 2005 PA-Israeli agreement authorized the reopening of the Rafah border crossing between the Gaza Strip and Egypt under joint PA and Egyptian control. In January 2006, the Islamic Resistance Movement, HAMAS, won control of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). The international community has refused to accept the HAMAS-led government because it does not recognize Israel, will not renounce violence, and refuses to honor previous peace agreements between Israel and the PA. Since March 2006, President ABBAS has had little success negotiating with HAMAS to present a political platform acceptable to the international community so as to lift the economic siege on Palestinians. The PLC was unable to convene in late 2006 as a result of Israel's detention of many HAMAS PLC members and Israeli-imposed travel restrictions on other PLC members. | The Genoese built a fortress on the site of present-day Monaco in 1215. The current ruling Grimaldi family secured control in the late 13th century, and a principality was established in 1338. Economic development was spurred in the late 19th century with a railroad linkup to France and the opening of a casino. Since then, the principality's mild climate, splendid scenery, and gambling facilities have made Monaco world famous as a tourist and recreation center. |
Birth rate | 30.99 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 9.19 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $1.23 billion
expenditures: $1.64 billion (2005) |
revenues: $719.2 million
expenditures: $864.1 million; including capital expenditures of $283.1 million (2004) |
Capital | - | name: Monaco
geographic coordinates: 43 44 N, 7 25 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
Climate | temperate; temperature and precipitation vary with altitude, warm to hot summers, cool to mild winters | Mediterranean with mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers |
Coastline | 0 km (landlocked) | 4.1 km |
Constitution | - | 17 December 1962 |
Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: West Bank |
conventional long form: Principality of Monaco
conventional short form: Monaco local long form: Principaute de Monaco local short form: Monaco |
Death rate | 3.85 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 12.91 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Debt - external | $NA | $18 billion (2000 est.) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | - | the US does not have an embassy in Monaco; the US Consul General in Marseille (France) under the authority of the US ambassador to France is accredited to Monaco |
Diplomatic representation in the US | - | Monaco does not have an embassy in the US
consulate(s) general: New York |
Disputes - international | West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement - permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region | none |
Economic aid - recipient | $1.102 billion; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | $NA |
Economy - overview | The West Bank - the larger of the two areas under the Palestinian Authority (PA) - has experienced a general decline in economic conditions since the second intifadah began in September 2000. The downturn has been largely the result of Israeli closure policies - the imposition of border closures in response to security incidents in Israel - which disrupted labor and trading relationships. In 2001, and even more severely in 2002, Israeli military measures in PA areas resulted in the destruction of capital, the disruption of administrative structures, and widespread business closures. International aid of at least $1.14 billion to the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 2004 prevented the complete collapse of the economy and allowed some reforms in the government's financial operations. In 2005, high unemployment and limited trade opportunities - due to continued closures both within the West Bank and externally - stymied growth. Israel's and the international community's financial embargo of the PA since HAMAS took office in March 2006 has interrupted the provision of PA social services and the payment of PA salaries. | Monaco, bordering France on the Mediterranean coast, is a popular resort, attracting tourists to its casino and pleasant climate. In 2001, a major construction project extended the pier used by cruise ships in the main harbor. The principality has successfully sought to diversify into services and small, high-value-added, nonpolluting industries. The state has no income tax and low business taxes and thrives as a tax haven both for individuals who have established residence and for foreign companies that have set up businesses and offices. The state retains monopolies in a number of sectors, including tobacco, the telephone network, and the postal service. Living standards are high, roughly comparable to those in prosperous French metropolitan areas. |
Electricity - consumption | NA kWh | NA kWh |
Electricity - imports | NA kWh | NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by France |
Electricity - production | NA kWh; note - most electricity imported from Israel; East Jerusalem Electric Company buys and distributes electricity to Palestinians in East Jerusalem and its concession in the West Bank; the Israel Electric Company directly supplies electricity to most Jewish residents and military facilities; some Palestinian municipalities, such as Nablus and Janin, generate their own electricity from small power plants | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Dead Sea -408 m
highest point: Tall Asur 1,022 m |
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Mont Agel 140 m |
Environment - current issues | adequacy of fresh water supply; sewage treatment | NA |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
Ethnic groups | Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17% | French 47%, Monegasque 16%, Italian 16%, other 21% |
Exchange rates | new Israeli shekels per US dollar - 4.4565 (2006), 4.4877 (2005), 4.482 (2004), 4.5541 (2003), 4.7378 (2002) | euros per US dollar - 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003), 1.0626 (2002), 1.1175 (2001) |
Executive branch | - | chief of state: Prince ALBERT II (since 6 April 2005)
head of government: Minister of State Jean-Paul PROUST (since 1 June 2005) cabinet: Council of Government is under the authority of the monarch elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; minister of state appointed by the monarch from a list of three French national candidates presented by the French Government |
Exports | $301 million f.o.b.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | $656.5 million $NA
note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France |
Exports - commodities | olives, fruit, vegetables, limestone | - |
Exports - partners | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | - | two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and white; similar to the flag of Indonesia which is longer and the flag of Poland which is white (top) and red |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 8%
industry: 18.2% services: 73.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 17%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
GDP - real growth rate | 4.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005 est.) | 0.9% (2000 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 32 00 N, 35 15 E | 43 44 N, 7 24 E |
Geography - note | landlocked; highlands are main recharge area for Israel's coastal aquifers; there are 242 West Bank settlements and 29 East Jerusalem settlements in addition to at least 20 occupied outposts (August 2005 est.) | second-smallest independent state in the world (after Holy See); almost entirely urban |
Heliports | - | 1 (2006) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | $2.44 billion c.i.f.; (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | $636.6 million $NA
note: full customs integration with France, which collects and rebates Monegasque trade duties; also participates in EU market system through customs union with France |
Imports - commodities | food, consumer goods, construction materials | - |
Imports - partners | Israel, Jordan, Gaza Strip (2006) | - |
Independence | - | 1419 (beginning of the rule by the House of Grimaldi) |
Industrial production growth rate | 2.4% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | NA% |
Industries | generally small family businesses that produce cement, textiles, soap, olive-wood carvings, and mother-of-pearl souvenirs; the Israelis have established some small-scale, modern industries in the settlements and industrial centers | tourism, construction, small-scale industrial and consumer products |
Infant mortality rate | total: 18.67 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 20.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 16.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
total: 5.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.19 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.9% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | 1.9% (2000) |
International organization participation | - | ACCT, CE, FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IFRCS, IHO, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, ITU, OIF, OPCW, OSCE, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO |
Irrigated land | 150 sq km; note - includes Gaza Strip (2003) | NA |
Judicial branch | - | Supreme Court or Tribunal Supreme (judges appointed by the monarch on the basis of nominations by the National Council) |
Labor force | 568,000 (2005) | 41,110
note: includes workers from all foreign countries (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 16%
industry: 29% services: 55% (2005) |
- |
Land boundaries | total: 404 km
border countries: Israel 307 km, Jordan 97 km |
total: 4.4 km
border countries: France 4.4 km |
Land use | arable land: 16.9%
permanent crops: 18.97% other: 64.13% (2001) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (urban area) (2005) |
Languages | Arabic, Hebrew (spoken by Israeli settlers and many Palestinians), English (widely understood) | French (official), English, Italian, Monegasque |
Legal system | - | based on French law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Legislative branch | - | unicameral National Council or Conseil National (24 seats; 16 members elected by list majority system, 8 by proportional representation; to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 February 2003 (next to be held February 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UNAM 21, UND 3 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.46 years
male: 71.68 years female: 75.35 years (2007 est.) |
total population: 79.69 years
male: 75.85 years female: 83.74 years (2006 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 92.4% male: 96.7% female: 88% (2004 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% male: 99% female: 99% (2003 est.) |
Location | Middle East, west of Jordan | Western Europe, bordering the Mediterranean Sea on the southern coast of France, near the border with Italy |
Map references | Middle East | Europe |
Maritime claims | none (landlocked) | territorial sea: 12 nm |
Merchant marine | - | registered in other countries: 77 (Bahamas 17, Barbados 1, Bermuda 2, France 1, Georgia 13, Isle of Man 3, Liberia 10, Malta 1, Marshall Islands 8, Norway 4, Panama 9, Saint Kitts and Nevis 1, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4, Switzerland 2, unknown 1) (2006) |
Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France; the Palace Guard performs ceremonial duties (2003) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | - | National Day (Prince of Monaco Holiday), 19 November |
Nationality | noun: NA
adjective: NA |
noun: Monegasque(s) or Monacan(s)
adjective: Monegasque or Monacan |
Natural hazards | droughts | NA |
Natural resources | arable land | none |
Net migration rate | 2.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) | 7.68 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | National and Democratic Union or UND [Guy MAGNAN]; Union for Monaco or UPM (including National Union for the Future of Monaco or UNAM) |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | 2,535,927
note: in addition, there are about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and fewer than 177,000 in East Jerusalem (July 2004 est.) |
32,543 (July 2006 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 45.7% (2005) | NA% |
Population growth rate | 2.985% (2007 est.) | 0.4% (2006 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 0, FM 8, shortwave 0 (2005) | AM 1, FM NA, shortwave 8 (1998) |
Religions | Muslim 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8% | Roman Catholic 90% |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.736 male(s)/female total population: 1.038 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.69 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: Israeli company BEZEK and the Palestinian company PALTEL are responsible for fixed line services in the Gaza Strip; the Palestinian JAWAL company provides cellular services international: country code - 970 (2004) |
general assessment: modern automatic telephone system
domestic: NA international: country code - 377; no satellite earth stations; connected by cable into the French communications system |
Telephones - main lines in use | 349,000 (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | 33,700 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 1.095 million (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | 19,300 (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 8 (2005) | 5 (1998) |
Terrain | mostly rugged dissected upland, some vegetation in west, but barren in east | hilly, rugged, rocky |
Total fertility rate | 4.17 children born/woman (2007 est.) | 1.76 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 20.3% (includes Gaza Strip) (2005) | 22% (1999) |