Compare Western Sahara (2005) - Central African Republic (2007)

Compare Western Sahara (2005) z Central African Republic (2007)

	Western Sahara (2005)	Central African Republic (2007)

Administrative divisions	none (under de facto control of Morocco)	14 prefectures (prefectures, singular - prefecture), 2 economic prefectures* (prefectures economiques, singular - prefecture economique), and 1 commune; Bamingui-Bangoran, Bangui, Basse-Kotto, Haute-Kotto, Haut-Mbomou, Kemo, Lobaye, Mambere-Kadei, Mbomou, Nana-Grebizi, Nana-Mambere, Ombella-Mpoko, Ouaka, Ouham, Ouham-Pende, Sangha-Mbaere, Vakaga
Age structure	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA	0-14 years: 41.6% (male 914,566/female 903,849) 15-64 years: 54.2% (male 1,174,520/female 1,195,364) 65 years and over: 4.1% (male 71,355/female 109,384) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)	cotton, coffee, tobacco, manioc (tapioca), yams, millet, corn, bananas; timber
Airports	11 (2004 est.)	51 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2007)
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: 48 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 10 914 to 1,523 m: 24 under 914 m: 13 (2007)
Area	total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 622,984 sq km land: 622,984 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about the size of Colorado	slightly smaller than Texas
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.	The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - civilian rule was established in 1993 and lasted for one decade. President Ange-Felix PATASSE's civilian government was plagued by unrest, and in March 2003 he was deposed in a military coup led by General Francois BOZIZE, who established a transitional government. Though the government has the tacit support of civil society groups and the main parties, a wide field of candidates contested the municipal, legislative, and presidential elections held in March and May of 2005 in which General BOZIZE was affirmed as president. The government still does not fully control the countryside, where pockets of lawlessness persist.
Birth rate	NA births/1,000 population	33.52 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget	revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA	revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA
Capital	none	name: Bangui geographic coordinates: 4 22 N, 18 35 E time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate	hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew	tropical; hot, dry winters; mild to hot, wet summers
Coastline	1,110 km	0 km (landlocked)
Constitution	-	ratified by popular referendum 5 December 2004; effective 27 December 2004
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara	conventional long form: Central African Republic conventional short form: none local long form: Republique Centrafricaine local short form: none former: Ubangi-Shari, Central African Empire abbreviation: CAR
Death rate	NA deaths/1,000 population	18.46 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external	NA	$1.06 billion (2002 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	none	chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires James PANOS embassy: Avenue David Dacko, Bangui mailing address: B. P. 924, Bangui telephone: [236] 61 02 00 FAX: [236] 61 44 94 note: the embassy is currently operating with a minimal staff
Diplomatic representation in the US	none	chief of mission: Ambassador Emmanuel TOUABOY chancery: 1618 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 483-7800 FAX: [1] (202) 332-9893
Disputes - international	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, whose sovereignty remains unresolved - UN-administered cease-fire has remained in effect since September 1991, administered by the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), but attempts to hold a referendum have failed and parties thus far have rejected all brokered proposals	periodic skirmishes over water and grazing rights among related pastoral populations along the border with southern Sudan persist
Economic aid - recipient	NA	ODA, $95.29 million; note - traditional budget subsidies from France (2005 est.)
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.	Subsistence agriculture, together with forestry, remains the backbone of the economy of the Central African Republic (CAR), with more than 70% of the population living in outlying areas. The agricultural sector generates more than half of GDP. Timber has accounted for about 16% of export earnings and the diamond industry, for 40%. Important constraints to economic development include the CAR's landlocked position, a poor transportation system, a largely unskilled work force, and a legacy of misdirected macroeconomic policies. Factional fighting between the government and its opponents remains a drag on economic revitalization. Distribution of income is extraordinarily unequal. Grants from France and the international community can only partially meet humanitarian needs.
Electricity - consumption	83.7 million kWh (2002)	101.4 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production	90 million kWh (2002)	109 million kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed location 463 m	lowest point: Oubangui River 335 m highest point: Mont Ngaoui 1,420 m
Environment - current issues	sparse water and lack of arable land	tap water is not potable; poaching has diminished the country's reputation as one of the last great wildlife refuges; desertification; 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, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	Arab, Berber	Baya 33%, Banda 27%, Mandjia 13%, Sara 10%, Mboum 7%, M'Baka 4%, Yakoma 4%, other 2%
Exchange rates	Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.6256 (2000)	Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XAF) per US dollar - 522.59 (2006), 527.47 (2005), 528.29 (2004), 581.2 (2003), 696.99 (2002)
Executive branch	none	chief of state: President Francois BOZIZE (since 15 March 2003 coup) head of government: Prime Minister Elie DOTE (since 13 June 2005); note - Celestin GAOMBALET resigned 11 June 2005 cabinet: Council of Ministers elections: under the new constitution, the president elected to a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held 13 March and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010); prime minister appointed by the political party with a parliamentary majority election results: Francois BOZIZE elected president; percent of second round balloting - Francois BOZIZE (KNK) 64.6%, Martin ZIGUELE (MLPC) 35.4%
Exports	NA	NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities	phosphates 62%	diamonds, timber, cotton, coffee, tobacco
Exports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts	Belgium 30.7%, Spain 10.7%, Indonesia 8%, France 7.8%, China 6.9%, Democratic Republic of the Congo 6%, Turkey 5%, Italy 4.7% (2006)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	-	four equal horizontal bands of blue (top), white, green, and yellow with a vertical red band in center; there is a yellow five-pointed star on the hoist side of the blue band
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: NA industry: NA services: 40% (1996 est.)	agriculture: 55% industry: 20% services: 25% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - NA	-
GDP - real growth rate	NA	3.5% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 30 N, 13 00 W	7 00 N, 21 00 E
Geography - note	the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas	landlocked; almost the precise center of Africa
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	lowest 10%: 0.7% highest 10%: 47.7% (1993)
Imports	NA	NA bbl/day
Imports - commodities	fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs	food, textiles, petroleum products, machinery, electrical equipment, motor vehicles, chemicals, pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts	France 15.4%, Netherlands 15.1%, US 9.2%, Cameroon 8.9% (2006)
Independence	-	13 August 1960 (from France)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	3% (2002)
Industries	phosphate mining, handicrafts	gold and diamond mining, logging, brewing, textiles, footwear, assembly of bicycles and motorcycles
Infant mortality rate	total: NA male: NA female: NA	total: 83.97 deaths/1,000 live births male: 90.68 deaths/1,000 live births female: 77.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	NA	3.6% (2001 est.)
International organization participation	none	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, CEMAC, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, OIC (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land	NA sq km	20 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch	-	Supreme Court or Cour Supreme; Constitutional Court (3 judges appointed by the president, 3 by the president of the National Assembly, and 3 by fellow judges); Court of Appeal; Criminal Courts; Inferior Courts
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: 5,203 km border countries: Cameroon 797 km, Chad 1,197 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 1,577 km, Republic of the Congo 467 km, Sudan 1,165 km
Land use	arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2001)	arable land: 3.1% permanent crops: 0.15% other: 96.75% (2005)
Languages	Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic	French (official), Sangho (lingua franca and national language), tribal languages
Legal system	-	based on French law
Legislative branch	-	unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (109 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 13 March 2005 and 8 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote by party - MLPC 43%, RDC 18%, MDD 9%, FPP 6%, PSD 5%, ADP 4%, PUN 3%, FODEM 2%, PLD 2%, UPR 1%, FC 1%, independents 6%; seats by party - MLPC 47, RDC 20, MDD 8, FPP 7, PSD 6, ADP 5, PUN 3, FODEM 2, PLD 2, UPR 1, FC 1, independents 7
Life expectancy at birth	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years	total population: 43.74 years male: 43.69 years female: 43.79 years (2007 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 51% male: 63.3% female: 39.9% (2003 est.)
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco	Central Africa, north of Democratic Republic of the Congo
Map references	Africa	Africa
Maritime claims	contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue	none (landlocked)
Military branches	-	Central African Armed Forces (FACA): Ground Forces, Military Air Service, General Directorate of Gendarmerie Inspection (DGIG); National Police (2006)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	1.1% (2006 est.)
National holiday	-	Republic Day, 1 December (1958)
Nationality	noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian	noun: Central African(s) adjective: Central African
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	hot, dry, dusty harmattan winds affect northern areas; floods are common
Natural resources	phosphates, iron ore	diamonds, uranium, timber, gold, oil, hydropower
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Alliance for Democracy and Progress or ADP [Jacques MBOLIEDAS]; Central African Democratic Assembly or RDC [Andre KOLINGBA]; Civic Forum or FC [Gen. Timothee MALENDOMA]; Democratic Forum for Modernity or FODEM [Charles MASSI]; Liberal Democratic Party or PLD [Nestor KOMBO-NAGUEMON]; Movement for Democracy and Development or MDD [David DACKO]; Movement for the Liberation of the Central African People or MLPC [Ange-Felix PATASSE] (the party of deposed president); National Convergence or KNK; Patriotic Front for Progress or FPP [Abel GOUMBA]; People's Union for the Republic or UPR [Pierre Sammy MAKFOY]; National Unity Party or PUN [Jean-Paul NGOUPANDE]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Enoch LAKOUE]
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	NA
Population	273,008 (July 2005 est.)	4,369,038 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 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	NA	1.505% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors	Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)	-
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1 (2001)
Religions	Muslim	indigenous beliefs 35%, Protestant 25%, Roman Catholic 25%, Muslim 15% note: animistic beliefs and practices strongly influence the Christian majority
Sex ratio	NA	at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.012 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.983 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.652 male(s)/female total population: 0.978 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage	none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed	21 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: limited telephone service; fixed-line connections for well less than 1 per 100 persons coupled with mobile-cellular usage of only about 3 per 100 persons domestic: network consists principally of microwave radio relay and low-capacity, low-powered radiotelephone communication international: country code - 236; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use	about 2,000 (1999 est.)	10,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular	0 (1999)	100,000 (2005)
Television broadcast stations	NA	1 (2001)
Terrain	mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast	vast, flat to rolling, monotonous plateau; scattered hills in northeast and southwest
Total fertility rate	NA children born/woman	4.32 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA	8% (23% for Bangui) (2001 est.)
Waterways	-	2,800 km (primarily on the Oubangui and Sangha rivers) (2006)

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