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Compare Western Sahara (2005) - Guinea-Bissau (2004)

Compare Western Sahara (2005) z Guinea-Bissau (2004)

 Western Sahara (2005)Guinea-Bissau (2004)
 Western SaharaGuinea-Bissau
Administrative divisions none (under de facto control of Morocco) 9 regions (regioes, singular - regiao); Bafata, Biombo, Bissau, Bolama, Cacheu, Gabu, Oio, Quinara, Tombali; note - Bolama may have been renamed Bolama/Bijagos
Age structure 0-14 years: NA


15-64 years: NA


65 years and over: NA
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 288,760; female 289,975)


15-64 years: 55.4% (male 367,728; female 400,996)


65 years and over: 2.9% (male 17,570; female 23,334) (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads) rice, corn, beans, cassava (tapioca), cashew nuts, peanuts, palm kernels, cotton; timber; fish
Airports 11 (2004 est.) 28 (2003 est.)
Airports - with paved runways total: 3


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


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 1 (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: 25


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
Area total: 266,000 sq km


land: 266,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 36,120 sq km


land: 28,000 sq km


water: 8,120 sq km
Area - comparative about the size of Colorado slightly less than three times the size of Connecticut
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. Since independence from Portugal in 1974, Guinea-Bissau has experienced considerable upheaval. The founding government consisted of a single party system and command economy. In 1980, a military coup established Joao VIEIRA as president and a path to a market economy and multiparty system was implemented. A number of coup attempts through the 1980s and early 1990s failed to unseat him and in 1994 he was elected president in the country's first free elections. A military coup attempt and civil war in 1998 eventually led to VIERA's ouster in 1999. In February 2000, an interim government turned over power when opposition leader Kumba YALA took office following two rounds of transparent presidential elections. YALA was ousted in a bloodless coup in September 2003, and Henrique ROSA was sworn in as President. Guinea-Bissau's transition back to democracy will be complicated by its crippled economy, devastated in the civil war.
Birth rate NA births/1,000 population 38.03 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Budget revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
revenues: NA


expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA
Capital none Bissau
Climate hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew tropical; generally hot and humid; monsoonal-type rainy season (June to November) with southwesterly winds; dry season (December to May) with northeasterly harmattan winds
Coastline 1,110 km 350 km
Constitution - 16 May 1984, amended 4 May 1991, 4 December 1991, 26 February 1993, 9 June 1993, and 1996
Country name conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Western Sahara


former: Spanish Sahara
conventional long form: Republic of Guinea-Bissau


conventional short form: Guinea-Bissau


local long form: Republica da Guine-Bissau


local short form: Guine-Bissau


former: Portuguese Guinea
Currency - Communaute Financiere Africaine franc (XOF); note - responsible authority is the Central Bank of the West African States; previously the Guinea-Bissau peso (GWP) was used
Death rate NA deaths/1,000 population 16.57 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Debt - external NA $941.5 million (2000 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US none the US Embassy suspended operations on 14 June 1998 in the midst of violent conflict between forces loyal to then President VIEIRA and military-led junta; US embassy Dakar is responsible for covering Guinea-Bissau: telephone - [221] 823-4296; FAX - [221] 822-5903
Diplomatic representation in the US none chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Henrique Adriano DA SILVA


chancery: 1511 K Street NW, Suite 519, Washington, DC 20005


telephone: [1] (202) 347-3950


FAX: [1] (202) 347-3954
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 attempts to stem refugees and cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and political instability from a separatist movement in Senegal's Casamance region
Economic aid - recipient NA $115.4 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. One of the 10 poorest countries in the world, Guinea-Bissau depends mainly on farming and fishing. Cashew crops have increased remarkably in recent years, and the country now ranks sixth in cashew production. Guinea-Bissau exports fish and seafood along with small amounts of peanuts, palm kernels, and timber. Rice is the major crop and staple food. However, intermittent fighting between Senegalese-backed government troops and a military junta destroyed much of the country's infrastructure and caused widespread damage to the economy in 1998; the civil war led to a 28% drop in GDP that year, with partial recovery in 1999-2002. Before the war, trade reform and price liberalization were the most successful part of the country's structural adjustment program under IMF sponsorship. The tightening of monetary policy and the development of the private sector had also begun to reinvigorate the economy. Because of high costs, the development of petroleum, phosphate, and other mineral resources is not a near-term prospect. However, unexploited offshore oil reserves could provide much-needed revenue in the long run. The inequality of income distribution is one of the most extreme in the world. The government and international donors continue to work out plans to forward economic development from a lamentably low base. Government drift and indecision, however, have resulted in low growth in 2002-03 and dim prospects for 2004.
Electricity - consumption 83.7 million kWh (2002) 51.15 million kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (2002) 0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production 90 million kWh (2002) 55 million kWh (2001)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m


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


highest point: unnamed location in the northeast corner of the country 300 m
Environment - current issues sparse water and lack of arable land deforestation; soil erosion; overgrazing; overfishing
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, Law of the Sea, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Arab, Berber African 99% (Balanta 30%, Fula 20%, Manjaca 14%, Mandinga 13%, Papel 7%), European and mulatto less than 1%
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 (XOF) per US dollar - 581.2 (2003), 696.988 (2002), 733.039 (2001), 711.976 (2000), 615.699 (1999)


note: as of 1 May 1997, Guinea-Bissau adopted the XOF franc as the national currency; since 1 January 1999, the XOF franc is pegged to the euro at a rate of 655.957 XOF francs per euro
Executive branch none chief of state: President Henrique ROSA (interim; since 28 September 2003); note - a September 2003 coup overthrew the elected government of Kumba YALA; General Verissimo Correia SEABRA served as interim president from 14 to 28 September 2003


head of government: Prime Minister Carlos GOMES Junior (since 9 May 2004)


cabinet: NA


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 28 November 1999 and 16 January 2000 (next to be held NA 2004); prime minister appointed by the president after consultation with party leaders in the legislature


election results: Kumba YALA elected president; percent of vote, second ballot - Kumba YALA (PRS) 72%, Malan Bacai SANHA (PAIGC) 28%


note: a bloodless coup led to the dissolution of the elected government of Kumba YALA in September 2003; General Verissimo Correia SEABRA served as interim president from 14 September 2003 until stepping aside on 28 September 2003 with the establishment of a caretaker government
Exports NA NA (2001)
Exports - commodities phosphates 62% cashew nuts, shrimp, peanuts, palm kernels, sawn lumber
Exports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts India 76.8%, Nigeria 12.1%, Italy 5.1% (2003)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description - two equal horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green with a vertical red band on the hoist side; there is a black five-pointed star centered in the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia
GDP - purchasing power parity - $1.063 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA


industry: NA


services: 40% (1996 est.)
agriculture: 62%


industry: 12%


services: 26% (1999 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - NA purchasing power parity - $800 (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate NA -7% (2003 est.)
Geographic coordinates 24 30 N, 13 00 W 12 00 N, 15 00 W
Geography - note the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas this small country is swampy along its western coast and low-lying further inland
Highways total: 6,200 km


paved: 1,350 km


unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)
total: 4,400 km


paved: 453 km


unpaved: 3,947 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA


highest 10%: NA
lowest 10%: 0.5%


highest 10%: 42.4% (1991)
Imports NA NA (2001)
Imports - commodities fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs foodstuffs, machinery and transport equipment, petroleum products
Imports - partners Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts Senegal 18.1%, India 14.6%, Portugal 14.6%, China 9.7%, Italy 9%, Spain 4.9% (2003)
Independence - 24 September 1973 (unilaterally declared by Guinea-Bissau); 10 September 1974 (recognized by Portugal)
Industrial production growth rate NA 2.6% (1997 est.)
Industries phosphate mining, handicrafts agricultural products processing, beer, soft drinks
Infant mortality rate total: NA


male: NA


female: NA
total: 108.72 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 119.37 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 97.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) NA 4% (2002 est.)
International organization participation none ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, ECOWAS, FAO, FZ, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW (signatory), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Irrigated land NA sq km 170 sq km (1998 est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court or Supremo Tribunal da Justica (consists of nine justices who are appointed by the president and serve at his pleasure; final court of appeals in criminal and civil cases); Regional Courts (one in each of nine regions; first court of appeals for Sectoral Court decisions; hear all felony cases and civil cases valued at over $1,000); 24 Sectoral Courts (judges are not necessarily trained lawyers; they hear civil cases under $1,000 and misdemeanor criminal cases)
Labor force 12,000 480,000 (1999)
Labor force - by occupation animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50% agriculture 82% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries total: 2,046 km


border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km
total: 724 km


border countries: Guinea 386 km, Senegal 338 km
Land use arable land: 0.02%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 99.98% (2001)
arable land: 10.67%


permanent crops: 8.82%


other: 80.51% (2001)
Languages Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic Portuguese (official), Crioulo, African languages
Legal system - NA
Legislative branch - unicameral National People's Assembly or Assembleia Nacional Popular (100 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve a maximum of four years); note - President YALA dissolved the National People's Assembly in November 2002, elections for a new legislature were scheduled to fall in February 2003 but were then postponed to April, then July, then September, and were last scheduled to occur in March 2004


elections: last held 28 March 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)


election results: percent of vote by party - PAIGC 31.5%, PRS 24.8%, PUSD 16.1%, UE 4.1%, APU 1.3%, 13 other parties 22.2% ; seats by party - PAIGC 45, PRS 35, PUSD 17, UE 2, APU 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: NA years


male: NA years


female: NA years
total population: 46.98 years


male: 45.09 years


female: 48.92 years (2004 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


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


total population: 42.4%


male: 58.1%


female: 27.4% (2003 est.)
Location Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco Western Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Guinea and Senegal
Map references Africa Africa
Maritime claims contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - none
Military branches - People's Revolutionary Armed Force (FARP; includes Army, Navy, and Air Force), paramilitary force
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $8.4 million (2003)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 2.8% (2003)
Military manpower - availability - males age 15-49: 326,864 (2004 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service - males age 15-49: 185,801 (2004 est.)
National holiday - Independence Day, 24 September (1973)
Nationality noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s)


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


adjective: Guinean
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 haze may reduce visibility during dry season; brush fires
Natural resources phosphates, iron ore fish, timber, phosphates, bauxite, unexploited deposits of petroleum
Net migration rate - -1.57 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
Political parties and leaders - African Party for the Independence of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde or PAIGC [Carlos GOMES Junior]; Front for the Liberation and Independence of Guinea or FLING [Francois MENDY]; Guinea-Bissau Resistance-Ba Fata Movement or RGB-MB [Helder Vaz LOPES]; Guinean Civic Forum or FCG [Antonieta Rosa GOMES]; International League for Ecological Protection or LIPE [Alhaje Bubacar DJALO, president]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Abubacer BALDE, secretary general]; Party for Democratic Convergence or PCD [Victor MANDINGA]; Social Renovation Party or PRS [Kumba YALA]; Union for Change or UM [Jorge MANDINGA, president, Dr. Anne SAAD, secretary general]; United Platform or UP [coalition formed by PCD, FDS, FLING, and RGB-MB]; United Social Democratic Party or PUSD [Francisco Jose FADUL]
Political pressure groups and leaders none NA
Population 273,008 (July 2005 est.) 1,388,363 (July 2004 est.)
Population below poverty line NA NA
Population growth rate NA 1.99% (2004 est.)
Ports and harbors Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun) Bissau, Buba, Cacheu, Farim
Radio broadcast stations AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 1 (transmitter out of service), FM 4, shortwave 0 (2002)
Religions Muslim indigenous beliefs 50%, Muslim 45%, Christian 5%
Sex ratio NA at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.75 male(s)/female


total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 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: small system


domestic: combination of microwave radio relay, open-wire lines, radiotelephone, and cellular communications


international: country code - 245
Telephones - main lines in use about 2,000 (1999 est.) 10,600 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1999) 1,300 (2003)
Television broadcast stations NA NA (1997)
Terrain mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast mostly low coastal plain rising to savanna in east
Total fertility rate NA children born/woman 5 children born/woman (2004 est.)
Unemployment rate NA NA (1998)
Waterways - 4 largest rivers are navigable for some distance; many inlets and creeks give shallow-water access to much of interior (2004)
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