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Compare Western Sahara (2005) - Egypt (2008)

Compare Western Sahara (2005) z Egypt (2008)

 Western Sahara (2005)Egypt (2008)
 Western SaharaEgypt
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 26 governorates (muhafazat, singular - muhafazah); Ad Daqahliyah, Al Bahr al Ahmar, Al Buhayrah, Al Fayyum, Al Gharbiyah, Al Iskandariyah, Al Isma'iliyah, Al Jizah, Al Minufiyah, Al Minya, Al Qahirah, Al Qalyubiyah, Al Wadi al Jadid, As Suways, Ash Sharqiyah, Aswan, Asyut, Bani Suwayf, Bur Sa'id, Dumyat, Janub Sina', Kafr ash Shaykh, Matruh, Qina, Shamal Sina', Suhaj
Age structure 0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
0-14 years: 32.2% (male 13,234,428/female 12,631,681)


15-64 years: 63.2% (male 25,688,703/female 25,082,200)


65 years and over: 4.6% (male 1,576,376/female 2,121,648) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) cotton, rice, corn, wheat, beans, fruits, vegetables; cattle, water buffalo, sheep, goats
Airports 11 (2004 est.) 88 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 (2004 est.)
total: 72


over 3,047 m: 15


2,438 to 3,047 m: 36


1,524 to 2,437 m: 16


under 914 m: 5 (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: 16


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 5


under 914 m: 7 (2007)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 1,001,450 sq km


land: 995,450 sq km


water: 6,000 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly more than three times the size of New Mexico
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 regularity and richness of the annual Nile River flood, coupled with semi-isolation provided by deserts to the east and west, allowed for the development of one of the world's great civilizations. A unified kingdom arose circa 3200 B.C., and a series of dynasties ruled in Egypt for the next three millennia. The last native dynasty fell to the Persians in 341 B.C., who in turn were replaced by the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantines. It was the Arabs who introduced Islam and the Arabic language in the 7th century and who ruled for the next six centuries. A local military caste, the Mamluks took control about 1250 and continued to govern after the conquest of Egypt by the Ottoman Turks in 1517. Following the completion of the Suez Canal in 1869, Egypt became an important world transportation hub, but also fell heavily into debt. Ostensibly to protect its investments, Britain seized control of Egypt's government in 1882, but nominal allegiance to the Ottoman Empire continued until 1914. Partially independent from the UK in 1922, Egypt acquired full sovereignty with the overthrow of the British-backed monarchy in 1952. The completion of the Aswan High Dam in 1971 and the resultant Lake Nasser have altered the time-honored place of the Nile River in the agriculture and ecology of Egypt. A rapidly growing population (the largest in the Arab world), limited arable land, and dependence on the Nile all continue to overtax resources and stress society. The government has struggled to meet the demands of Egypt's growing population through economic reform and massive investment in communications and physical infrastructure.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population 22.53 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: $37.47 billion


expenditures: $44.48 billion (2007 est.)
Capital none name: Cairo


geographic coordinates: 30 03 N, 31 15 E


time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Friday in April; ends last Thursday in September
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew desert; hot, dry summers with moderate winters
Coastline 1,110 km 2,450 km
Constitution - 11 September 1971; amended 22 May 1980, 25 May 2005, and 26 March 2007
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Arab Republic of Egypt


conventional short form: Egypt


local long form: Jumhuriyat Misr al-Arabiyah


local short form: Misr


former: United Arab Republic (with Syria)
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 5.11 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external NA $29.9 billion (30 June 2007)
Diplomatic representation from the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Francis J. RICCIARDONE, Jr.


embassy: 8 Kamal El Din Salah St., Garden City, Cairo


mailing address: Unit 64900, Box 15, APO AE 09839-4900


telephone: [20] (2) 2797-3300


FAX: [20] (2) 2797-3200
Diplomatic representation in the US none chief of mission: Ambassador Nabil FAHMY


chancery: 3521 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 895-5400


FAX: [1] (202) 244-4319


consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, New York, San Francisco
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 while Sudan retains claim to the Hala'ib Triangle north of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel, both states withdrew their military presence in the 1990s and Egypt has invested in and effectively administers the area; Egypt vigilantly monitors the Sinai and borders with Israel and the Gaza Strip to deter terrorist, smuggling, and other illegal activities; Egypt does not extend domestic asylum to some 70,000 persons who identify themselves as Palestinians but who largely lack UNRWA assistance and, until recently, UNHCR recognition as refugees
Economic aid - recipient NA ODA, $925.9 million (2005)
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. Occupying the northeast corner of the African continent, Egypt is bisected by the highly fertile Nile valley, where most economic activity takes place. In the last 30 years, the government has reformed the highly centralized economy it inherited from President Gamel Abdel NASSER. In 2005, Prime Minister Ahmed NAZIF's government reduced personal and corporate tax rates, reduced energy subsidies, and privatized several enterprises. The stock market boomed, and GDP grew about 5% per year in 2005-06, and topped 7% in 2007. Despite these achievements, the government has failed to raise living standards for the average Egyptian, and has had to continue providing subsidies for basic necessities. The subsidies have contributed to a sizeable budget deficit - roughly 7.5% of GDP in 2007 - and represent a significant drain on the economy. Foreign direct investment has increased significantly in the past two years, but the NAZIF government will need to continue its aggressive pursuit of reforms in order to sustain the spike in investment and growth and begin to improve economic conditions for the broader population. Egypt's export sectors - particularly natural gas - have bright prospects.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2002) 84.49 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 946 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 168 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2002) 102.5 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


highest point: unnamed location 463 m
lowest point: Qattara Depression -133 m


highest point: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land agricultural land being lost to urbanization and windblown sands; increasing soil salination below Aswan High Dam; desertification; oil pollution threatening coral reefs, beaches, and marine habitats; other water pollution from agricultural pesticides, raw sewage, and industrial effluents; very limited natural fresh water resources away from the Nile, which is the only perennial water source; rapid growth in population overstraining the Nile and natural resources
Environment - international agreements party to: none of the selected agreements


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber Egyptian 98%, Berber, Nubian, Bedouin, and Beja 1%, Greek, Armenian, other European (primarily Italian and French) 1%
Exchange rates Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.6256 (2000) Egyptian pounds per US dollar - 5.67 (2007), 5.725 (2006), 5.78 (2005), 6.1962 (2004), 5.8509 (2003)
Executive branch none chief of state: President Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK (since 14 October 1981)


head of government: Prime Minister Ahmed Mohamed NAZIF (since 9 July 2004)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president


elections: president elected by popular vote for six-year term (no term limits); note - a national referendum in May 2005 approved a constitutional amendment that changed the presidential election to a multicandidate popular vote; previously the president was nominated by the People's Assembly and the nomination was validated by a national, popular referendum; last referendum held 26 September 1999; first election under terms of constitutional amendment held 7 September 2005; next election scheduled for 2011


election results: Hosni MUBARAK reelected president; percent of vote - Hosni MUBARAK 88.6%, Ayman NOUR 7.6%, Noman GOMAA 2.9%
Exports NA 152,600 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% crude oil and petroleum products, cotton, textiles, metal products, chemicals
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts Italy 12.1%, US 11.3%, Spain 8.7%, UK 5.5%, France 5.4%, Syria 5.1%, Saudi Arabia 4.3%, Germany 4.2% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year 1 July - 30 June
Flag description - three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and black; the national emblem (a gold Eagle of Saladin facing the hoist side with a shield superimposed on its chest above a scroll bearing the name of the country in Arabic) centered in the white band; design is based on the Arab Liberation flag and similar to the flag of Syria, which has two green stars in the white band, Iraq, which has an Arabic inscription centered in the white band, and Yemen, which has a plain white band
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: 40% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 13.8%


industry: 41.1%


services: 45.1% (2007 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - NA -
GDP - real growth rate NA 7.2% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 27 00 N, 30 00 E
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas controls Sinai Peninsula, only land bridge between Africa and remainder of Eastern Hemisphere; controls Suez Canal, a sea link between Indian Ocean and Mediterranean Sea; size, and juxtaposition to Israel, establish its major role in Middle Eastern geopolitics; dependence on upstream neighbors; dominance of Nile basin issues; prone to influxes of refugees
Heliports - 3 (2007)
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%: 3.7%


highest 10%: 29.5% (2000)
Illicit drugs - transit point for cannabis, heroin, and opium moving to Europe, Israel, and North Africa; transit stop for Nigerian drug couriers; concern as money laundering site due to lax enforcement of financial regulations
Imports NA 69,860 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs machinery and equipment, foodstuffs, chemicals, wood products, fuels
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts US 11.4%, China 8.3%, Germany 6.6%, Italy 5.4%, Saudi Arabia 5%, France 4.6% (2006)
Independence - 28 February 1922 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate NA 13.8% (2007 est.)
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts textiles, food processing, tourism, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, hydrocarbons, construction, cement, metals, light manufactures
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total: 29.5 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 31.22 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 27.68 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA 8.8% (2007 est.)
International organization participation none ABEDA, ACCT, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, BSEC (observer), CAEU, COMESA, EBRD, FAO, G-15, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM, OAPEC, OAS (observer), OIC, OIF, OSCE (partner), PCA, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNOMIG, UNRWA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Irrigated land NA sq km 34,220 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch - Supreme Constitutional Court
Labor force 12,000 22.49 million (2007 est.)
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% agriculture: 32%


industry: 17%


services: 51% (2001 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 2,665 km


border countries: Gaza Strip 11 km, Israel 266 km, Libya 1,115 km, Sudan 1,273 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2001)
arable land: 2.92%


permanent crops: 0.5%


other: 96.58% (2005)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic Arabic (official), English and French widely understood by educated classes
Legal system - based on Islamic and civil law (particularly Napoleonic codes); judicial review by Supreme Court and Council of State (oversees validity of administrative decisions); accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch - bicameral system consists of the People's Assembly or Majlis al-Sha'b (454 seats; 444 elected by popular vote, 10 appointed by the president; members serve five-year terms) and the Advisory Council or Majlis al-Shura that traditionally functions only in a consultative role but 2007 constitutional amendments could grant the Council new powers (264 seats; 176 elected by popular vote, 88 appointed by the president; members serve six-year terms; mid-term elections for half of the elected members)


elections: People's Assembly - three-phase voting - last held 7 and 20 November, 1 December 2005;(next to be held November-December 2010); Advisory Council - last held June 2007 (next to be held May-June 2010)


election results: People's Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 311, NWP 6, Tagammu 2, Tomorrow Party 1, independents 112 (12 seats to be determined by rerun elections, 10 seats appointed by President); Advisory Council - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NDP 84, Tagammu 1, independents 3
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
total population: 71.57 years


male: 69.04 years


female: 74.22 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


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


total population: 71.4%


male: 83%


female: 59.4% (2005 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Northern Africa, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Libya and the Gaza Strip, and the Red Sea north of Sudan, and includes the Asian Sinai Peninsula
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine - total: 77 ships (1000 GRT or over) 1,032,116 GRT/1,553,065 DWT


by type: bulk carrier 13, cargo 33, container 2, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 10


foreign-owned: 10 (Denmark 1, Greece 8, Lebanon 1)


registered in other countries: 55 (Bolivia 1, Cambodia 14, Georgia 14, Honduras 4, North Korea 1, Panama 13, Sao Tome and Principe 1, Saudi Arabia 1, St Kitts and Nevis 2, St Vincent and The Grenadines 4) (2007)
Military branches - Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Command
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 3.4% (2005 est.)
National holiday - Revolution Day, 23 July (1952)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian
noun: Egyptian(s)


adjective: Egyptian
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 periodic droughts; frequent earthquakes, flash floods, landslides; hot, driving windstorm called khamsin occurs in spring; dust storms, sandstorms
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, phosphates, manganese, limestone, gypsum, talc, asbestos, lead, zinc
Net migration rate - -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines - condensate 483 km; condensate/gas 74 km; gas 6,466 km; liquid petroleum gas 957 km; oil 5,518 km; oil/gas/water 37 km; refined products 895 km (2007)
Political parties and leaders - National Democratic Party or NDP (governing party) [Mohamed Hosni MUBARAK]; National Progressive Unionist Grouping or Tagammu [Rifaat EL-SAID]; New Wafd Party or NWP [Mahmoud ABAZA]; Tomorrow Party [Moussa Mustafa MOUSSA]


note: formation of political parties must be approved by the government; only parties with representation in elected bodies are listed
Political pressure groups and leaders none despite a constitutional ban against religious-based parties and political activity, the technically illegal Muslim Brotherhood constitutes Hosni MUBARAK's potentially most significant political opposition; MUBARAK has alternated between tolerating limited political activity by the Brotherhood and blocking its influence; civic society groups are sanctioned, but constrained in practical terms; only trade unions and professional associations affiliated with the government are officially sanctioned
Population 273,008 (July 2005 est.) 80,335,036 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 20% (2005 est.)
Population growth rate NA 1.721% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) -
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 42 (plus 15 repeaters), FM 14, shortwave 3 (1999)
Railways - total: 5,063 km


standard gauge: 5,063 km 1.435-m gauge (62 km electrified) (2006)
Religions Muslim Muslim (mostly Sunni) 90%, Coptic 9%, other Christian 1%
Sex ratio NA at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.024 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.743 male(s)/female


total population: 1.017 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage none; a UN-sponsored voter identification campaign not yet completed 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
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: large system; underwent extensive upgrading during 1990s and is reasonably modern; Telecom Egypt, the landline monopoly, has been increasing service availability and in 2006 fixed-line density stood at 14 per 100 persons; as of 2007 there were three mobile-cellular networks and service is expanding rapidly


domestic: principal centers at Alexandria, Cairo, Al Mansurah, Ismailia, Suez, and Tanta are connected by coaxial cable and microwave radio relay


international: country code - 20; landing point for both the SEA-ME-WE-3 AND SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable networks; linked to the international submarine cable FLAG (Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe); satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat, and 1 Inmarsat; tropospheric scatter to Sudan; microwave radio relay to Israel; a participant in Medarabtel
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 10.808 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 18.001 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations NA 98 (September 1995)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast vast desert plateau interrupted by Nile valley and delta
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman 2.77 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate NA 10.1% (2007 est.)
Waterways - 3,500 km


note: includes Nile River, Lake Nasser, Alexandria-Cairo Waterway, and numerous smaller canals in delta; Suez Canal (193.5 km including approaches) navigable by oceangoing vessels drawing up to 17.68 m (2006)
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