Main page Compare countries Index countries Index fields

Query:
##ciekawa_strona##

Compare Western Sahara (2002) - Spratly Islands (2001)

Compare Western Sahara (2002) z Spratly Islands (2001)

 Western Sahara (2002)Spratly Islands (2001)
 Western SaharaSpratly Islands
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 11 (2001) 4 (2000 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2002)
total:
1

914 to 1,523 m:
1 (2000 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 3 (2002)
total:
3

914 to 1,523 m:
1

under 914 m:
2 (2000 est.)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
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
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado NA
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. Rich fishing grounds and the potential for gas and oil deposits have caused this archipelago to be claimed in its entirety by China, Taiwan, and Vietnam, while portions are claimed by Malaysia and the Philippines. All five parties have occupied certain islands or reefs, and occasional clashes have occurred between Chinese and Vietnamese naval forces
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population -
Budget revenues: $NA


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


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form:
none

conventional short form:
Spratly Islands
Currency Moroccan dirham (MAD) -
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population -
Debt - external $NA -
Diplomatic representation from the US none -
Diplomatic representation in the US none -
Disputes - international Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, but sovereignty remains unresolved; UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties reject other proposals 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; in 2000, China joined ASEAN discussions towards creating a South China Sea "code of conduct" - a non-legally binding confidence building measure
Economic aid - recipient $NA -
Economy - overview 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. All trade and other economic activities are controlled by the Moroccan Government. Moroccan energy interests in 2001 signed contracts to explore for oil off the coast of Western Sahara, which has angered the Polisario. Incomes and standards of living in Western Sahara are substantially below the Moroccan level. 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.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2000) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2000) -
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2000) -
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: 100%


hydro: 0%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (2000)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
lowest point:
South China Sea 0 m

highest point:
unnamed location on Southwest Cay 4 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 -
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 11.584 (January 2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999), 9.604 (1998), 9.527 (1997) -
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.) (1996 est.)
-
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $NA -
GDP - real growth rate NA% -
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 8 38 N, 111 55 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas strategically located near several primary shipping lanes in the central South China Sea; includes numerous small islands, atolls, shoals, and coral reefs
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 -
Infant mortality rate NA deaths/1,000 live births -
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA% -
International organization participation none -
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 0 sq km (1993)
Labor force 12,000 -
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% -
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%


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

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
0%

forests and woodland:
0%

other:
100%
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic -
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
-
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
-
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco 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
Map references Africa Southeast Asia
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue NA
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 expenditures - dollar figure $NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% -
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawian, Sahraouian
-
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 typhoons; serious maritime hazard because of numerous reefs and shoals
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore fish, guano, undetermined oil and natural gas potential
Political pressure groups and leaders none -
Population 256,177 (July 2002 est.) no indigenous inhabitants

note:
there are scattered garrisons occupied by personnel of several claimant states (July 2001 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% -
Population growth rate NA (2002 est.) -
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) none; offshore anchorage only
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) -
Radios 56,000 (1997) -
Railways 0 km -
Religions Muslim -
Sex ratio NA -
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet 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 mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast flat
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman -
Unemployment rate NA% -
Waterways none none
Sitemap: Compare countries listing (map site) | Country listing (map site)
Links: Add to favorites | Information about this website | Stats | Polityka prywatnosci
This page was generated in ##czas## s. Size this page: ##rozmiar_strony## kB.