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Compare Western Sahara (2001) - Christmas Island (2003)

Compare Western Sahara (2001) z Christmas Island (2003)

 Western Sahara (2001)Christmas Island (2003)
 Western SaharaChristmas Island
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) none (territory of Australia)
Age structure 0-14 years:
NA%

15-64 years:
NA%

65 years and over:
NA%
0-14 years: NA%


15-64 years: NA%


65 years and over: NA% (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) NA
Airports 11 (2000 est.) 1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total:
3

2,438 to 3,047 m:
3 (2000 est.)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways total:
8

1,524 to 2,437 m:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
4

under 914 m:
3 (2000 est.)
-
Area total:
266,000 sq km

land:
266,000 sq km

water:
0 sq km
total: 135 sq km


land: 135 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC
Background 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. Named in 1643 for the day of its discovery, the island was annexed and settlement was begun by the UK in 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s. The UK transferred sovereignty to Australia in 1958. Almost two-thirds of the island has been declared a national park.
Birth rate - NA births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues:
$NA

expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital none The Settlement
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew tropical; heat and humidity moderated by trade winds
Coastline 1,110 km 80 km
Constitution - NA
Country name conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Western Sahara

former:
Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Territory of Christmas Island


conventional short form: Christmas Island
Currency Moroccan dirham (MAD) Australian dollar (AUD)
Death rate - NA deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $NA $NA
Dependency status - territory of Australia; administered by the Australian Department of Transport and Regional Services
Diplomatic representation from the US none none (territory of Australia)
Diplomatic representation in the US none none (territory of Australia)
Disputes - international 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 none
Economic aid - recipient $NA $NA
Economy - overview 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. Phosphate mining had been the only significant economic activity, but in December 1987 the Australian Government closed the mine. In 1991, the mine was reopened. With the support of the government, a $34 million casino opened in 1993. The casino closed in 1998. The Australian Government in 2001 agreed to support the creation of a commercial space-launching site on the island, slated to begin operation in 2003.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (1999) NA kWh
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) -
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (1999) NA kWh
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
100%

hydro:
0%

nuclear:
0%

other:
0% (1999)
fossil fuel: NA%


hydro: NA%


nuclear: NA%


other: NA%
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Sebjet Tah -55 m

highest point:
unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: Murray Hill 361 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land NA
Environment - international agreements party to:
none of the selected agreements

signed, but not ratified:
none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber Chinese 70%, European 20%, Malay 10%


note: no indigenous population (2001)
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) Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173(2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)
Executive branch none chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by the Australian governor general


head of government: Administrator William Leonard TAYLOR (since 4 February 1999)


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; administrator appointed by the governor general of Australia and represents the monarch and Australia
Exports $NA $NA
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% phosphate
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts Australia, NZ
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description - the flag of Australia is used; note - in early 1986, the Christmas Island Assembly held a design competition for an island flag, however, the winning design has never been formally adopted as the official flag of the territory
GDP purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
NA%

industry:
NA%

services:
40%-45% (1996 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA purchasing power parity - $NA
GDP - real growth rate NA% NA%
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 10 30 S, 105 40 E
Geography - note - located along major sea lanes of Indian Ocean
Heliports 1 (2000 est.) -
Highways total:
6,200 km

paved:
1,350 km

unpaved:
4,850 km (1991 est.)
total: 240 km


paved: 30 km


unpaved: 210 km (2000)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
NA%

highest 10%:
NA%
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Imports $NA $NA
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs consumer goods
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts principally Australia
Independence - none (territory of Australia)
Industrial production growth rate NA% NA%
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts tourism, phosphate extraction (near depletion)
Infant mortality rate - total: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% NA%
International organization participation none none
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) 2 (2000)
Irrigated land NA sq km NA sq km
Judicial branch - Supreme Court; District Court; Magistrate's Court
Labor force 12,000 NA
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% tourism 400 people, mining 100 people (1995)
Land boundaries total:
2,046 km

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

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
19%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
81%
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100%


note: mainly tropical rainforest; 63% of the island is a national park (1998 est.)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic English (official), Chinese, Malay
Legal system - under the authority of the governor general of Australia and Australian law
Legislative branch - unicameral Christmas Island Shire Council (9 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve one-year terms)


elections: last held NA December 2002 (next to be held NA December 2003)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 9
Life expectancy at birth - total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition:
NA

total population:
NA%

male:
NA%

female:
NA%
NA
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Southeastern Asia, island in the Indian Ocean, south of Indonesia
Map references Africa Southeast Asia
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue contiguous zone: 12 NM


exclusive fishing zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine - none (2002 est.)
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of Australia
Military branches NA -
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% -
National holiday - NA
Nationality noun:
Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)

adjective:
Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Christmas Islander(s)


adjective: Christmas Island
Natural hazards hot, dry, dust/sand-laden sirocco wind can occur during winter and spring; widespread harmattan haze exists 60% of time, often severely restricting visibility the narrow fringing reef surrounding the island can be a maritime hazard
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore phosphate, beaches
Net migration rate - NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders - none
Political pressure groups and leaders none none
Population 250,559 (July 2001 est.) 433 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate - -9% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) Flying Fish Cove
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios 56,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km 24 km to serve phosphate mines
Religions Muslim Buddhist 36%, Muslim 25%, Christian 18%, other 21% (1997)
Sex ratio - NA (2003 est.)
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
general assessment: service provided by the Australian network


domestic: only analog mobile telephone service is available


international: satellite earth stations - one Intelsat earth station provides telephone and telex service (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) NA
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) NA
Television broadcast stations NA NA
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast steep cliffs along coast rise abruptly to central plateau
Total fertility rate - NA children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% NA%
Waterways none none
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