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Compare Western Sahara (2004) - Congo, Republic of the (2005)

Compare Western Sahara (2004) z Congo, Republic of the (2005)

 Western Sahara (2004)Congo, Republic of the (2005)
 Western SaharaCongo, Republic of the
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 10 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 commune*; Bouenza, Brazzaville*, Cuvette, Cuvette-Ouest, Kouilou, Lekoumou, Likouala, Niari, Plateaux, Pool, Sangha
Age structure 0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
0-14 years: 37.3% (male 571,011/female 563,414)


15-64 years: 59% (male 886,297/female 907,348)


65 years and over: 3.7% (male 45,799/female 65,257) (2005 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) cassava (tapioca), sugar, rice, corn, peanuts, vegetables, coffee, cocoa; forest products
Airports 11 (2003 est.) 32 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 4


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 28


1,524 to 2,437 m: 6


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 342,000 sq km


land: 341,500 sq km


water: 500 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly smaller than Montana
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 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 1997 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO, but ushered in a period of ethnic unrest. Southern-based rebel groups agreed to a final peace accord in March 2003, but the calm is tenuous and refugees continue to present a humanitarian crisis. The Republic of Congo is one of Africa's largest petroleum producers with significant potential for offshore development.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population 27.88 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: $870.1 million


expenditures: $1.102 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital none Brazzaville
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew tropical; rainy season (March to June); dry season (June to October); constantly high temperatures and humidity; particularly enervating climate astride the Equator
Coastline 1,110 km 169 km
Constitution - approved by referendum 20 January 2002
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Republic of the Congo


conventional short form: Congo (Brazzaville)


local long form: Republique du Congo


local short form: none


former: Middle Congo, Congo/Brazzaville, Congo
Currency Moroccan dirham (MAD) -
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 14.82 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external NA $5 billion (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Roger A. MEECE


embassy: NA


mailing address: NA


telephone: [243] (88) 43608


note: the embassy is temporarily collocated with the US Embassy in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (US Embassy Kinshasa, 310 Avenue des Aviateurs, Kinshasa)
Diplomatic representation in the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Serge MOMBOULI


chancery: 4891 Colorado Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20011


telephone: [1] (202) 726-5500


FAX: [1] (202) 726-1860
Disputes - international Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991 but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area
Economic aid - recipient NA $159.1 million (1995)
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. The economy is a mixture of village agriculture and handicrafts, an industrial sector based largely on oil, support services, and a government characterized by budget problems and overstaffing. Oil has supplanted forestry as the mainstay of the economy, providing a major share of government revenues and exports. In the early 1980s, rapidly rising oil revenues enabled the government to finance large-scale development projects with GDP growth averaging 5% annually, one of the highest rates in Africa. The government has mortgaged a substantial portion of its oil earnings, contributing to a shortage of revenues. The 12 January 1994 devaluation of Franc Zone currencies by 50% resulted in inflation of 61% in 1994, but inflation has subsided since. Economic reform efforts continued with the support of international organizations, notably the World Bank and the IMF. The reform program came to a halt in June 1997 when civil war erupted. Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, who returned to power when the war ended in October 1997, publicly expressed interest in moving forward on economic reforms and privatization and in renewing cooperation with international financial institutions. However, economic progress was badly hurt by slumping oil prices and the resumption of armed conflict in December 1998, which worsened the republic's budget deficit. The current administration presides over an uneasy internal peace and faces difficult economic challenges of stimulating recovery and reducing poverty.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2001) 573.6 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) 0 kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) 250 million kWh (2002)
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2001) 348 million kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


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


highest point: Mount Berongou 903 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land air pollution from vehicle emissions; water pollution from the dumping of raw sewage; tap water is not potable; deforestation
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%, Europeans and other 3%


note: Europeans estimated at 8,500, mostly French, before the 1997 civil war; may be half that in 1998, following the widespread destruction of foreign businesses in 1997
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 9.574 (2003), 11.584 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999) Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002), 733.04 (2001), 711.98 (2000)
Executive branch none chief of state: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO (since 25 October 1997, following the civil war in which he toppled elected president Pascal LISSOUBA); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term (eligible for a second seven-year term); election last held 10 March 2002 (next to be held NA 2009)


election results: Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO reelected president; percent of vote - Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO 89.4%, Joseph Kignoumbi Kia MBOUNGOU 2.7%
Exports NA (2001) NA
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% petroleum, lumber, plywood, sugar, cocoa, coffee, diamonds
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts China 26.8%, Taiwan 19.2%, North Korea 8.4%, US 7.3%, France 5.5%, South Korea 4.8% (2004)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description - divided diagonally from the lower hoist side by a yellow band; the upper triangle (hoist side) is green and the lower triangle is red; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP purchasing power parity - NA -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: 40% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 7.4%


industry: 52%


services: 40.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - NA purchasing power parity - $800 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA 3.7% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 1 00 S, 15 00 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas about 70% of the population lives in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, or along the railroad between them
Highways total: 6,200 km


paved: 1,350 km


unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)
total: 12,800 km


paved: 1,242 km


unpaved: 11,558 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
Imports NA (2001) NA
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs capital equipment, construction materials, foodstuffs
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000) France 32.7%, US 10.1%, Germany 6.2%, Italy 6%, China 5.2%, Netherlands 4.5% (2004)
Independence - 15 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate NA 0% (2002 est.)
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts petroleum extraction, cement, lumber, brewing, sugar, palm oil, soap, flour, cigarettes
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total: 92.41 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 98.48 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 86.16 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA 1.8% (2004 est.)
International organization participation none ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land NA sq km 10 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court or Cour Supreme
Labor force 12,000 NA
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
total: 5,504 km


border countries: Angola 201 km, Cameroon 523 km, Central African Republic 467 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,410 km, Gabon 1,903 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2001)
arable land: 0.51%


permanent crops: 0.13%


other: 99.36% (2001)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic French (official), Lingala and Monokutuba (lingua franca trade languages), many local languages and dialects (of which Kikongo is the most widespread)
Legal system - based on French civil law system and customary law
Legislative branch - bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (66 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) and the National Assembly (137 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 11 July 2002 (next to be held July 2007); National Assembly - last held 27 May and 26 June 2002 (next to be held by NA May 2007)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 56, other 10; National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - FDP 83, UDR 6, UPADS 3, other 45
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
total population: 52.26 years


male: 51.17 years


female: 53.39 years (2005 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA


male: NA


female: NA
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 83.8%


male: 89.6%


female: 78.4% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Western Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Angola and Gabon
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 200 nm
Military branches - Congolese Armed Forces (FAC): Army, Air Force (Armee de l'Air Congolaise), Navy, Gendarmerie, Republican Guard (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA $126.5 million (2004)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA 2.8% (2004)
National holiday - Independence Day, 15 August (1960)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi,Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Congolese (singular and plural)


adjective: Congolese or Congo
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 seasonal flooding
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore petroleum, timber, potash, lead, zinc, uranium, copper, phosphates, gold, magnesium, natural gas, hydropower
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines - gas 53 km; oil 646 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders - the most important of the many parties are the Democratic and Patriotic Forces or FDP (an alliance of Convention for Alternative Democracy, Congolese Labor Party or PCT, Liberal Republican Party, National Union for Democracy and Progress, Patriotic Union for the National Reconstruction, and Union for the National Renewal) [Denis SASSOU-NGUESSO, president]; Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development or MCDDI [Michel MAMPOUYA]; Pan-African Union for Social Development or UPADS [Martin MBERI]; Rally for Democracy and Social Progress or RDPS [Jean-Pierre Thystere TCHICAYA, president]; Rally for Democracy and the Republic or RDR [Raymond Damasge NGOLLO]; Union for Democracy and Republic or UDR [leader NA]; Union of Democratic Forces or UFD [Sebastian EBAO]
Political pressure groups and leaders none Congolese Trade Union Congress or CSC; General Union of Congolese Pupils and Students or UGEEC; Revolutionary Union of Congolese Women or URFC; Union of Congolese Socialist Youth or UJSC
Population 267,405 (July 2004 est.) 3,039,126


note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA
Population growth rate NA 1.31% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) Brazzaville, Djeno, Impfondo, Ouesso, Oyo, Pointe-Noire
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 3 (2001)
Railways - total: 894 km


narrow gauge: 894 km 1.067-m gauge (2004)
Religions Muslim Christian 50%, animist 48%, Muslim 2%
Sex ratio NA at birth: 1.01 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.98 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female


total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: sparse and limited system


domestic: NA


international: country code - 212; 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: services barely adequate for government use; key exchanges are in Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire, and Loubomo; intercity lines frequently out of order


domestic: primary network consists of microwave radio relay and coaxial cable


international: country code - 242; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 7,000 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 330,000 (2003)
Television broadcast stations NA 1 (2002)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast coastal plain, southern basin, central plateau, northern basin
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman 3.54 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate NA NA (2003)
Waterways - 4,385 km (on Congo and Oubanqui rivers) (2004)
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