Compare Western Sahara (2005) - Tuvalu (2002)

Compare Western Sahara (2005) z Tuvalu (2002)

	Western Sahara (2005)	Tuvalu (2002)

Administrative divisions	none (under de facto control of Morocco)	none
Age structure	0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA	0-14 years: 32.6% (male 1,851; female 1,785) 15-64 years: 62.3% (male 3,335; female 3,607) 65 years and over: 5.1% (male 233; female 335) (2002 est.)
Agriculture - products	fruits and vegetables (grown in the few oases); camels, sheep, goats (kept by nomads)	coconuts; fish
Airports	11 (2004 est.)	1 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 3 2,438 to 3,047 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: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Area	total: 266,000 sq km land: 266,000 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 26 sq km land: 26 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative	about the size of Colorado	0.1 times 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.	In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.
Birth rate	NA births/1,000 population	21.44 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Budget	revenues: NA expenditures: NA, including capital expenditures of NA	revenues: $22.5 million expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2 million (2000 est.)
Capital	none	Fongafale
Climate	hot, dry desert; rain is rare; cold offshore air currents produce fog and heavy dew	tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Coastline	1,110 km	24 km
Constitution	-	1 October 1978
Country name	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Western Sahara former: Spanish Sahara	conventional long form: none conventional short form: Tuvalu former: Ellice Islands note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
Currency	-	Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar
Death rate	NA deaths/1,000 population	7.45 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Debt - external	NA	$NA
Diplomatic representation from the US	none	the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Diplomatic representation in the US	none	Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
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	none
Economic aid - recipient	NA	$13 million (1999 est.); note - major donors are Japan, Australia, and the US (1999 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.	Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, with 1999 payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries at about $9 million, a total which is expected to rise annually. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new technology sources could raise GDP substantially over the next decade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets.
Electricity - consumption	83.7 million kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - production	90 million kWh (2002)	-
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: NA% hydro: NA% nuclear: NA% other: NA%
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Sebjet Tah -55 m highest point: unnamed location 463 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location 5 m
Environment - current issues	sparse water and lack of arable land	since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
Environment - international agreements	party to: none of the selected agreements signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements	party to: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups	Arab, Berber	Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Exchange rates	Moroccan dirhams per US dollar - 8.868 (2004), 9.5744 (2003), 11.0206 (2002), 11.303 (2001), 10.6256 (2000)	Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.9354 (January 2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997)
Executive branch	none	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Tomasi PUAPUA, M.D. (since 26 June 1998) head of government: Prime Minister Saufatu SOPOANGA (since 2 August 2002) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 2 August 2002 (next to be held NA) election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA elected prime minister; Parliamentary vote - Saufatu SOPOANGA 8, Amasone KILEI 7
Exports	NA	$276,000 f.o.b. (1997)
Exports - commodities	phosphates 62%	copra, fish
Exports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts	Sweden, Fiji, Iceland, Germany, Greece (2000)
Fiscal year	calendar year	calendar year
Flag description	-	light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $12.2 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: NA industry: NA services: 40% (1996 est.)	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%
GDP - per capita	purchasing power parity - NA	purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	NA	3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates	24 30 N, 13 00 W	8 00 S, 178 00 E
Geography - note	the waters off the coast are particularly rich fishing areas	one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
Highways	total: 6,200 km paved: 1,350 km unpaved: 4,850 km (1991 est)	total: 19.5 km paved: 0 km unpaved: 19.5 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	NA	$7.2 million c.i.f. (1998)
Imports - commodities	fuel for fishing fleet, foodstuffs	food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Imports - partners	Morocco claims and administers Western Sahara, so trade partners are included in overall Moroccan accounts	Fiji, Australia, Portugal, NZ (2000)
Independence	-	1 October 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate	NA	NA%
Industries	phosphate mining, handicrafts	fishing, tourism, copra
Infant mortality rate	total: NA male: NA female: NA	22 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	NA	5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation	none	ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	NA sq km	NA sq km
Judicial branch	-	High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Labor force	12,000	7,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	animal husbandry and subsistence farming 50%	people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Land boundaries	total: 2,046 km border countries: Algeria 42 km, Mauritania 1,561 km, Morocco 443 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0.02% permanent crops: 0% other: 99.98% (2001)	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages	Hassaniya Arabic, Moroccan Arabic	Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Legal system	-	NA
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006) election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15
Life expectancy at birth	total population: NA years male: NA years female: NA years	total population: 66.98 years male: 64.83 years female: 69.23 years (2002 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%	definition: percentage of people over the age of 15 who can read and write total population: 55% (1996) male: NA% female: NA%
Location	Northern Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean, between Mauritania and Morocco	Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia
Map references	Africa	Oceania
Maritime claims	contingent upon resolution of sovereignty issue	contiguous zone: 24 NM exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 5 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 31,021 GRT/52,198 DWT ships by type: cargo 3, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 5 (2002 est.)
Military branches	-	no regular military forces; Police Force (includes Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	NA%
National holiday	-	Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Nationality	noun: Sahrawi(s), Sahraoui(s) adjective: Sahrawi, Sahrawian, Sahraouian	noun: Tuvaluan(s) adjective: Tuvaluan
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	severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level
Natural resources	phosphates, iron ore	fish
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders	none	none
Population	273,008 (July 2005 est.)	11,146 (July 2002 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA	NA%
Population growth rate	NA	1.4% (2002 est.)
Ports and harbors	Ad Dakhla, Cabo Bojador, Laayoune (El Aaiun)	Funafuti, Nukufetau
Radio broadcast stations	AM 2, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999)
Radios	-	4,000 (1997)
Railways	-	0 km
Religions	Muslim	Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Sex ratio	NA	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.7 male(s)/female total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2002 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: serves particular needs for internal communications domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands international: NA
Telephones - main lines in use	about 2,000 (1999 est.)	1,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	0 (1999)	0 (1994)
Television broadcast stations	NA	0 (1997)
Terrain	mostly low, flat desert with large areas of rocky or sandy surfaces rising to small mountains in south and northeast	very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Total fertility rate	NA children born/woman	3.07 children born/woman (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate	NA	NA%
Waterways	-	none

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