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Compare Western Sahara (2004) - Saint Martin (2008)

Compare Western Sahara (2004) z Saint Martin (2008)

 Western Sahara (2004)Saint Martin (2008)
 Western SaharaSaint Martin
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 (2003 est.) 1
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1
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.)
-
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 54.4 sq km


land: 54.4 sq km


water: NEGL
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado more than one-third 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 UN-brokered cease-fire; a UN-organized referendum on final status has been repeatedly postponed. Although sighted by Christopher COLUMBUS in 1493 and claimed for Spain, it was the Dutch who occupied the island in 1631 and set about exploiting its salt deposits. The Spanish retook the island in 1633, but continued to be harassed by the Dutch. The Spanish finally relinquished St. Martin to the French and Dutch, who divided it amongst themselves in 1648. The cultivation of sugar cane introduced slavery to the island in the late 18th century; the practice was not abolished until 1848. The island became a free port in 1939; the tourism industry was dramatically expanded during the 1970s and 1980s. In 2003, the populace of St. Martin voted to secede from Guadeloupe and in 2007, the northern portion of the island became a French overseas collectivity.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population -
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
-
Capital none name: Marigot


geographical coordinates: 18 04 N, 63 05 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)


daylight savings: +1 hour
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew temperature averages 80-85 degrees all year long; low humidity, gentle trade winds, brief, intense rain showers; July-Novemeber is the hurricane season
Coastline 1,110 km 58.9 km (for entire island)
Constitution - 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Overseas Collectivity of Saint Martin


conventional short form: Saint Martin


local long form: Collectivity d'outre mer de Saint-Martin


local short form: Saint-Martin
Currency Moroccan dirham (MAD) -
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population -
Debt - external NA -
Dependency status - overseas collectivity of France
Diplomatic representation from the US none none (overseas collectivity of France)
Diplomatic representation in the US none none (overseas collectivity of France)
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 -
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. The economy of Saint Martin centers around tourism with 85% of the labor force engaged in this sector. Over one million visitors come to the island each year with most arriving through the Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten. No significant agriculture and limited local fishing means that almost all food must be imported. Energy resources and manufactured goods are also imported, primarily from Mexico and the United States. Saint Martin is reported to have the highest per capita income in the Caribbean.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2001) -
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2001) -
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2001) -
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


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


highest point: Pic du Paradis 424 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land fresh water supply is dependent on desalinization of sea water
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
-
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber creole (mulatto), black, Guadeloupe Mestizo (French-East Asia), white, East Indian
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 9.574 (2003), 11.584 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.626 (2000), 9.804 (1999) euros per US dollar - 0.7345 (2007), 0.7964 (2006), 0.8041 (2005), 0.8054 (2004), 0.886 (2003)
Executive branch none chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007), represented by Prefect Dominique LACROIX (since 21 March 2007)


head of government: President of the Territorial Council Louis-Constant FLEMING (since 16 July 2007)


cabinet: Executive Council; note - there is also an advisory economic, social, and cultural council


election: French president elected by popular vote to a five-year term; prefect appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Council is elected by the members of the Council for a five-year term


election results: Louis-Constant FLEMING unanimously elected president by the Territorial Council on 16 July 2007
Exports NA (2001) -
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 -
Flag description - the flag of France is used
GDP purchasing power parity - NA -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: 40% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 1%


industry: 15%


services: 84% (2000)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - NA -
GDP - real growth rate NA -
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 18 05 N, 63 57 W
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas the island of Saint Martin is the smallest landmass in the World shared by two independent states, the French territory of Saint Martin and the Dutch territory of Sint Maarten
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 (2001) -
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs crude petroleum, food, manufactured items
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts (2000) US, Mexico (2006)
Independence - none (overseas collectivity of France)
Industrial production growth rate NA -
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts tourism, light industry and manufacturing, heavy industry
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
-
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA -
International organization participation none UPU
Irrigated land NA sq km -
Labor force 12,000 -
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% 85% directly or indirectly employed in tourist industry
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 15 km


border countries: Netherlands Antilles (Sint Maarten) 15 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2001)
-
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic French (official language), English, Dutch, French Patois, Spanish, Papiamento (dialect of Netherlands Antilles)
Legal system - the laws of France, where applicable, apply
Legislative branch - unicameral Territorial Council (23 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held 1 and 8 July 2007 (next to be held July 2012)


election results: percent of seats by party - UPP 49%, RRR 42.2%, Reussir Saint-Martin 8.9%; seats by party - UPP 16, RRR 6, Reussir Saint-Martin 1
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 island 300 km southeast of Puerto Rico
Map references Africa Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue -
Military - note - defense is the responsibility of France
Military expenditures - dollar figure NA -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA -
National holiday - Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - local holiday is Schoalcher Day (Slavery Abolition Day) 12 July (1848)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi,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 -
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore salt
Political parties and leaders - Union Pour le Progres or UPP [Louis Constant FLEMING]; Rassemblement Responsabilite Reussite or RRR [Alain RICHARDSON]; Reussir Saint-Martin [Jean-Luc HAMLET]
Political pressure groups and leaders none -
Population 267,405 (July 2004 est.) 33,102 (October 2004 census)
Population below poverty line NA -
Population growth rate NA -
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) -
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) FM 3 (2007)
Religions Muslim Roman Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Protestant, Hindu
Sex ratio NA -
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: fully integrated access


domestic: direct dial capability with both fixed and wireless systems


international: country code - 590; undersea fiber-optic cable provides voice and data connectivity to Puerto Rico and Gudaloupe
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 -
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman -
Transportation - note - nearest airport for international flights is Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) located in Sint Maarten
Unemployment rate NA -
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